Tempting Fates
by Xenshin
Summary: A mysterious figure seeks out someone on earth. A malevolent, ominous force threatens everything...
1. The Quickening

Tempting Fates

Author's note: Before you take a gander at this story, I want too make a few things clear. This story, by following Toriyama's timeline, does take place after the end of Dragon ball Z, a year after the last Tenkaichi Budoukai in which Gokuu flew off with Uubu-kun to train. (Negating GT all together). Heh, you can tell I'm not an avid GT fan, like so many others. ;)

I personally hope this story will become a very good and original fan fiction. The story is about...well you read it! Enjoy!

On a side note: the / indicates if a person is speaking in a different language. Though this has been done before, I'm using the / in different terms of language translation. 

**Chapter I: The Quickening**

_Threat to peace! Trouble is brewing!!_

The eye watched callously over its creation. It was an abomination to its revelation. They were both its absolute failure and success. Creation had evolved to a point where evolution was no more. To its horror, they had transfigured, density by density, into near deities, slipping through the creator's ethereal fingers into a higher plane of existence. The mortal ancients ruled the cosmic bodies contained therein of the infinite vastness of the universe, a minuscule drop, forming ripples along the perpetual sea of multiverses.  The eternal eye saw its grievous flaw in his children; large enough even reprimandation weren't even a thought in its formless, omniscient mind. The eye casted its shadow over its _children, draining their imperfect blood from their imperfect veins__. Death, however, was only the beginning. They're rule, their empire, and their entire legacy, washed away into a sea of its own memories. Suffice to say, all of this was just the beginning of its wake of lust for the tomb. The created sentinels of the Kaioushin saw the malevolence it left. The created creator had experienced the bitter taste of pain on his tongue, as it was swiftly casted down into its own celestial void. Nameless, formless, beyond the confines of time and space, it lies dormant, waiting for the precise moment to break the seal, licking its lips as it heeds to strike with its blade at the heart of existence. _

                                                            *           *           *

Terminus, soldier of _death, had traveled beyond the reaches of the cosmos, only to discover it had been at an end, eternally._

The continuum had been deteriorating for ages. Ever since that fateful moment where primordial existence began, it had been decaying ever since. As if mortality had reared its ugly head once more smiling diabolically at existence.   
  
Utter chaos had breached Terminus' thoughts as though the hand of _death had reached into his very being. He lounged back in his hovering, black metallic malleable chair, deep in thought. He surveyed all, everything at standstill. He placed his hands together, against his lips, watching with unfeeling, the elapsing void continuing to consume realities and timelines as rebirthing of others came into existence. He had never asked to see visions that belonging to the gods but then again he never complained.   
  
In many ways, he was the sullen fighter of all things. A highly skilled, guile warrior but not yet the bastion of incalculable power. His education had been purely instinct; his experience likewise. He had, as the cliché has it, faced death itself, many times, but always death of a very familiar and tangible nature. Being a trader of planet commerce, amongst things, he became involved with exchanging cleared planets (sometimes still intact with their original inhabitants) with many races, including the saiya-jin, amongst others.  
  
But that was in the past now. Now, he couldn't care less.  
  
_

He exited out of the cockpit of the grandiose sized; yet highly efficient ship he had appropriated. Outside of the door, he straightened his armor, fixed his braids, cracked his knuckles and neck, and proceeded to walk.  
  
The security mechanisms loomed all over the vessel, which checked Terminus of any type of weapons or ki power. These mechanisms could not even detect his ki. Maybe these little probes weren't working properly as originally conceived.   
  
One step inside the ship and one could tell it had existed for a very long time. Its grandiose size dwarfed any conventional ship. It desperately needed restoration or at least a tune-up. Androids had seemed to find a home in such a place as they walked aimlessly.   
  
He looked out the enormous windows of the ship as his footsteps echoed through out the vessel, walking slowly toward his rendezvous with Oniero Il Vordsbaa. He finally reached his destination.  
  
He waited.   
  
The eye of the odd shaped camera that scanned the doorway was indeed working, but when the door opened it was by hand.  
  
Terminus smiled at the miniature-sized old man. The old man had the means to wear garments that only the wealthiest of nobles could afford. His pointy ears were his most obvious trait, almost as distracting one from his pudgy, obscure facial features. Oddly, very few wrinkles were just barely noticeable on his almost child-like face.  
  
"I am Terminus."  
  
"I recognize you," The old man remained stiffly and unsurprised in his place. He continued, "Your business?  
  
Terminus withdrew a step in gesture of submission. "One of peace. If you are Oniero Il Vordsbaa, I ask the favor of conversation." Pretending that he was suspicious of his authentication.  
  
Vordsbaa stepped aside and in the interior of the large quarters the walls glowed into life. The short old man entered into the brilliant light emitting from the lamp, hanging from the ceiling.  
  
"This is quite a ship you got here. An update to the old model I gather."  
  
Vordsbaa smiled thinly. "You're the observant one. Heh. I must apologize for your wait at the door. The automatic device registers the presence of a visitor but will no longer open the door automatically. I must open it by pressing those buttons near the door."  
  
"Your repairs fall short?" Terminus' deep, tranquil voice was faintly mocking.  
  
"Parts are no longer available. If you will sit, sir. You drink Tasbaha-jin liquor?"  
  
"On this ship? Heh. My good sir, it is socially impossible not to drink it here," The old patrician retreated noisily with a slow bow that was part of the ceremonious legacy left by the aristocracy of his home planet, which is now vaporized into nothing.  
  
Terminus looked after his host's departing figure, and his studied urbanity grew a bit uncertain at the edges. He gently stroked his long goatee and proceeded to scratch his chin.   
  
The drinks arrived, and Terminus slowly seated himself. "You look like hell, here have a drink. It will make it feel better," semi-condescendingly said Vordsbaa as he lifted his cup.   
  
"To your honor."  
  
"Thank you. To yours." said the rough-edged warrior, as he raised his cup and gulped down the last of the bitter alcohol, and wiped the excess run-off, off of his mouth.  
  
Vordsbaa said deliberately, "You are said to be of old age, yet you look more than capable."  
  
"I can manipulate even my own age and appearance to what ever fits to my own expectations."  
  
"So you are a shape-shifter, I gather."  
  
"Whatever…" The complacency undeniably present in the warrior's voice was stirred with amusement.   
  
"In that case," said Vordsbaa, with soft emphasis, "How do I know that is your true form?"  
  
"I have no "true" form…" Terminus' pupils metamorphosed into thin slits and changed back to normal.  
  
The dark warrior set his cup in its flaring sheath and it refilled. He dropped the offered flavor-capsule into it with a small splash. He then took a sip of the unusually crafted cup and gazed out the port-view.  
  
Vordsbaa dropped his smirk and got up from the floating chair and walked slowly toward the large view port.   
  
The dwarfish being folded his arms toward his lower back as he stared down upon the yellowish surface of planet Shic'. It reminded him too much of his forever lost home planet, Avitarasei. The reflection of the planet had projected upon quite vividly on the nine-layered glasslike window. It was almost like a mosaic of multicolored ballets as swirling, cavorting mists of clouds provided a blanket for the surface of the planet.  
  
Vordsbaa broke the curse of silence. "Its hard to believe that those damned saiya-jin are essentially more or less evolved monkeys with little or no cranium capacities. But yet they had managed to utterly destroy my home world like so many others."  
  
"The saiya-jin? Then tell me then, patrician, how did you survive?" Pretending to take notice.  
  
Vordsbaa seemed startled at a title long unused.   
  
He replied, "Patrician? That word...I remember it as if it was yesterday. A Patrician conducting business transactions with clients when, Avitatasei had been destroyed. If only I had remained…" Vordsbaa quieted for a moment but couldn't get over the unresolved issue of the barbaric race. "Feh...the saiya-jin...The gods has cursed us with their very existence."  
  
"You're planet was compromised of peace loving people. There were no warriors. They could not fight efficiently." Terminus quickly shifted the conversation.  
  
"You really know how to spur insults, shape shifter." Vordsbaa sharply responded.  
  
"The main reason why I'm here is that you answer my questions." Terminus raised his left arm and poked his left temple and pressed a naked to the eye, nano-like device deep inside his skin. It was a transmitter, transmitting any noise or sound to his Omnipotence.  
  
"Not under threats. I am old enough for life not to mean particularly overmuch."  
  
"My good sir, these are hard times," said Terminus, with meaning, "Come, if I should decide to use force, my aim would not be so poor as to strike you."  
  
Vordsbaa said coldly, "What do you want?"  
  
Terminus held the empty cup as he spoke, "Vordsbaa, listen to my words. As you know, the great Kanjieka-jin Empire had been dead long before any other galaxy had ascended into being. Even the restoration of the second empire did not last very long. Only two had survived the destruction of that primordial planet, myself and one other warrior. That is why I need the coordinates to the outer regions, beyond this galaxy's boundaries, so I may reach her."   
  
Vordsbaa smiled. "You're stating the impossible. By reaching the boundaries, you think you can merely cross into another galaxy? Why is it so important that you find coordinates to someplace that doesn't even exist?"

  
Terminus did not answer and smiled.  
  
"Hrmph. Then why…" Vordsbaa paused and then continued, "even if I told you, what would you give me in return?"  
  
Terminus smiled and opened his hand, and there, a small, humble bag of extremely rare Tasbaha-jin currency (small white diamonds). Oniero Il Vordsbaa could tell it was genuine. The bag was made out of a Banashian beast stomach. Plus the bright glowing inside it was a dead give away.  
  
He held out a hand with the currency. "Your knowledge speaks volumes. Thank you for your hospitality sir. Will this be enough?"  
  
Vordsbaa smiled, yet again.

***

Time was just another trivial annoyance to the Saiyajins on earth. Aging wasn't part of a Saiyajin's vocabulary, as Gokuu and Vejiita hardly showed any signs, thereof. Vejiita had been training little over a couple of years, mostly in isolation, unbeknown best to everyone else. After the last Tenkaichi Budoukai, Gokuu voluntarily had been playing the role of sensei over his first pupil, Uubu. Bulma did everything to hide those unsightly wrinkles and soon realized they were merely signs of maturity and wore them with pride. Chi-Chi did all she can to keep Goten home, for company as Goten did all he can to come home late. Mr. Buu had easily nestled with his new home of the world champion, Mr. Satan as he tried his hardest to spoil his granddaughter, Pan, who had grown to be quite an exceptional fighter, for a six year old. 

Piccolo had long ago resumed meditating over his favorite waterfall, as Gohan, trying to finish up his classes and exams before graduation from Satan University, simultaneously playing the role of father and husband had taken a toll on him but still managed. All was calm and everyone had finally decided to stop for a breather, but unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end, and they were about to learn just that all over again.

***

It had been over a year and Uubu's power had increased dramatically from that fateful day he had become Gokuu's first pupil. Being the reverted result of Buu, it was almost natural for him to release his potential power in a matter of days, although slowly at times, but releasing his power nonetheless. Gokuu grinned while evading all of Uubu's jabs and punches. It was quite clear that the boy's sensei looked as if he was enjoying evading every move he had. The swarthy warrior growled with frustration and used that zanzoken technique Gokuu had taught him within the first days of his training and attempted to kick his sensei's side but to no avail the kick had meet with nothing but air.  
  
A ki blast soon followed the boy's failed attempts to make any physical contact as it flew behind Gokuu's crotch, nearly burning the underside. Uubu again shot another ki blast, only more largely condensed while he screamed on the top of his lungs. But instead of the large projectile hitting its oriented target, the large ball of ki split up simultaneously into smaller blasts, shifting around the target and finally crushing it like a boa constrictor. It did just that around Gokuu as he struggled to maintain his power.   
  
Gokuu soon let out a deafening cry, pushing his power to escape from the attack. Suddenly, a blinding beam of light consumed the surrounding mountainous glaciers, emitting from the tail-less saiya-jin. Large waves of broken ice from all sides of the light rose as high as the seagulls could fly, with one of them over the levitating Uubu all in the processes of accelerating away from it. From the light came the departing figure with flowing golden hair as he spoke, "Uubu…I'm impressed. We've been only training a year and you're power's become almost as strong as Gohan's when he was a child. You almost got me there for a sec…where did you learn that technique? I even had to turn super saiya-jin to avoid getting crushed by that move you made."  
  
"Sensei, forgive me…I made it up myself." Uubu spoke, seeking for some type of approval.  
  
Gokuu smiled as his hair and eyes reverted back to their original state.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry. What's it called?" Gokuu asked.  
  
Uubu's battle expression turned far less grim and replied, "It's called the Hekiten-sou."  
  
Gokuu blinked, "Ah! That's incredible! I may be your sensei, but I would sure like to learn that technique."  
  
Uubu beamed an unusually large grin and spoke, "Umm, you place your palms together like the way you do the kamehameha, but instead up building up the energy from within, you try to suppress it, because once you make that first move, lots of power has already been drawn forth…well at least for me…"  
  
Gokuu really looked impressed. Uubu was so reminiscent of Gokuu's first born when he was his pupil's age. So young, so seemingly innocent yet being the bastion of unparallel power. It was a shame that Gohan had stopped training all those years ago. He could have been easily the strongest, surpassing even the limitations provided when turning super saiya-jin.  
  
Gokuu wiped the perspiration from his brow and spoke, "I say we take a break. I haven't seen Chi-Chi and the rest for months! We can pick up our training tomorrow."  
  
Uubu nodded with enthusiasm.  
  
Gokuu placed both his index and middle finger toward his forehead, found his destination, and disappeared along with his pupil.  
  
***  
  
"Gokuu-Sa? Is that really you? You must be a ghost." Chi-Chi asked starry-eyed, standing inside the doorway.   
  
"Of course not. Its me! I'm back! Missed me?"  
  
"I missed you so…WHY DIDN'T YOU VISIT ME OR EVEN LET ME KNOW YOU WERE EVEN ALIVE!?" Chi-Chi's tone of voice drastically shifted from being loving to bitchy in a matter of milliseconds.  
  
Gokuu and Uubu gulped in fear.

"Dad!" Goten yelled out, holding a giant fish slung over his back. He smiled and noticed Uubu, now with considerably more strength. "If I knew you guys were coming, I would have gotten a bigger fish!"

"Goten! Now you're the man of house?" Gokuu asked, jokingly.

"Yeah pretty much. Just until you got back." Goten grinned cheerfully.

"By the way this is Uubu, my pupil. We've been training a lot. He's the one I faced at the last Tenkaichi Budoukai."

"Nice to meet you Uubu." Goten greeted.

"Hey, maybe you and Goten could spar. You're both almost the same age and Uubu's strength is almost an par with Goten's!"  
  
"That doesn't give you the right to…" Chi-Chi, changing the mood of their reunion, blinked and ran towards Gokuu with a warm embrace and whispered, "Just stay this one time, please."  
  
"Chi-Chi…ok…" Gokuu agreed. 

"Um, hello." Uubu greeted timidly.  
  
"Err…hello?"  
  
"Come now Chi-Chi, he's our friend." Gokuu interjected. Uubu walked closer and opened his right hand, expecting some kind of greeting.  
  
"BAH! YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE TO TRAIN THIS?!" Chi-Chi pointed with her index finger. Uubu took a couple steps back and cringed with fear. Goten gulped as well.  
  
"Chi-Chi! That wasn't really necessary. Don't be so harsh. Now can you apologize?"  
  
"I'm sorry…" A tear came racing down the aging Chi-Chi's face. Uubu didn't know how to responded to such sporadic behavior. Unexpectedly, Chi-Chi raced towards Uubu and gave him the tightest hug she could give. Kami willing.  
  
"Grrr..rrr…Gok…rrr…" Uubu had barely enough lung capacity to even stay conscience.  
  
"You remind me a lot of Gohan when he was a child…how young I was back then…become strong, become brave, become great…and don't ever let someone convince you otherwise…those are my words to you." Gokuu was taken aback as Uubu blinked on in confusion.  
  
"Chi-Chi, are you feeling alright?" Gokuu asked.  
  
"Yes. Its just…its just he reminds me of Gohan. He's so beautiful…"  
  
The cockeyed look soon left Gokuu's expression and were soon replaced by a felicitous one. "Now since that's settled, Chi-chi, put the fish on the stove! I'm starved!"   
  
"You've been gone for over a year and that's all you have to SAY!?"  
  
"Heh, heh…" Gokuu placed his right hand behind his head in slight embarrassment.  
                               
***

  
A random office oni stared at Enma Daiou who resembled Santa Clause with red make-up, horns, and back hair. Enma Daiou mumbled about something being wrong with heaven, which made the intern quite unsure on what he was talking about, but he knew something definitely was wrong.  
  
"Kaiou Sama, are you certain? Are you saying that the heavens are trembling by deteriorating!? How the hell is that possible?" Sitting in his chair, Enma Daiou spoke with the most tense of tones.  
  
The office oni was convinced. Something was definitely wrong. He totally lost track of counting each foggy soul that was passing by on their way to either sides of the afterlife.  
  
"Is there something wrong, sir?" The oni asked while adjusting his glasses.  
  
"Is there something wrong you ask?" OF COURSE THERES SOMETHING WRONG!! Either that or Kaiou-sama is wrong in the head! Kaioushin is saying the same damned thing!" The demon lord exclaimed while banging the over sized desk with his hands.  
  
_Hey! Kaiou Sama yelled.  
  
"But you said heaven is trembling by deteriorating." The intern submissively added.  
  
"You better learn to shut up before I make you one of the underworld ogres. Or better yet I'll feed you to the damned! Got it? Now get back to work!"  
  
"Ye…yes sir! I'll get back to my paper work, invoices, and such…" The oni, then, went back to assisting the almost endless line of foggy souls.  
  
"Now where was I? Ah yes…hell…hell…hell…heave…err…hell…HELL…" Enma Daiou stamped away at the afterlife invoices and with a lot more tension being emitted. With each passing moment, the amount of the feeling of coldness crept into the demon lord's mind with little difficulty.  
                                          
***_

Rou Kaioushin sighed ever so wearily. The God sat on the fertile grass and stared upon the crystal ball in which his omniscient eyes had laid upon for countless times. He surveyed the ever growing, chaotic, cosmic cycle that is the multiverse and saw the endless voids growing between the dimensional shifts. One of the far flung voids; the process of creation had just begun, in the wake of rebirth. Its primordial quintessence was ever so apparent as if it was a galaxy of its own. Inside the endless void, darkness became a boiling brew of primordial chaos ensued in its own twisted beauty, from _nothingness. He saw the faceless entity behind the chaos. It was neither good nor evil, just simply __am._

Rou Kaioushin did not know what to make of it. It was far too unusual for simply a void to rapidly become so vast in nature and in dimension. Naturally he worried and felt that overwhelming sense of un-compromised dread.

It was close; awful beyond recognition, yet it was _everything. It possessed grace and warped beauty, beyond recognition._

Rou once pondered quietly to himself, the reason behind why his race, the Kaioushin, had been the created creators, chosen to preserve the balance of all that was beyond mortality's grip. Then he would answer his own simple, as it is myriad question: serenity. Everything about the Kaioushin possessed a serene feature unlike no other. Even their surroundings were as if it was a masterpiece of a painting, only encompassing a flux of brilliant colors distilled in eldritch light.

That was a silly question in itself.

The ageing ageless God lowered his head in meditation. As all the other gods' knowledge had deepened of what the Real had been becoming, so had he. He couldn't quite make of it.   
  
_The heaven's have now, all of a sudden, become tangible… He thought in hesitance.   
  
Becoming frustrated was something the highest of the hierarchy of Kaioushin learned to deal with. Being calm and collected had always been an essential asset when facing matters of the most cataclysmic. As the rest, Rou Kaioushin too stressed over the troubles in heaven and what that meant for this mortal plane or for the matter of fact, any other plane in existence.  
  
Unfortunately for Rou and the rest of the multiverse, fate wasn't on their side._

***

The only sound that could be heard throughout the sanctuaries was the harsh reverberation of unnatural flames crackling within the opaque, glistening walls. There-the only source of light provided was the burning ashes of the pillars, which closely guarded the altar. An intricate design had been seemingly interwoven with the altar itself.  
  
Ending the disturbing silence, echoing voices of chanting had then found their way throughout the buildings. Those resonating shallow of growls made the sanctuary seem like it was a living, breathing entity, when in reality, the low ambience was emanated by the unholy gathering.   
  
Around and above the burning flames of the great altar, seven figures perched in a circular shape, had chanted the most unholy of chants. An idol, which resembled a face of some kind of demon, glistened above the dancing fires.  
  
The unison of the sanctuaries stood with absolute resolute. Midnight with the color of crimson blood dampened the sky, hence leaving a sharp contrast from the seven insinuated towers.  
  
They stood ever so defiantly against the primordial laws of the continuum. Channels of energy ricocheted from the ethereal space above amongst the several luminous spheres that were floating aimlessly, each containing a single glowing form.  
  
One of the spheres had come very close... closer than the others and was approaching the towers. It began to glow intensely, and then to his surprise, a luminous silver hand slid out of it.   
  
The blue creature emerged cautiously, suspended in the air, and then slowly drifted to the ground in front of him, facing away from the warped nexus. Like liquid glass, it shimmered with light and beauty, the alien darkness of the towers reflecting in its skin like a spreading stain...a bleeding wound. It was amazed of the towers' foul beauty, as it scanned the landscape like a wondrous child.  
  
Many more beings emerged from their cocoon like spheres and they all had seemed to emit an unnatural blue tone. The first of the blue figures began to glow more radiantly with dark yet serene light. This vile, yet tranquil digit stood as a dark obelisk of power, acting as a nexus from which the ethereal power was spreading towards the surrounding army of figures.  
  
Inside the chamber, one of the small, cloaked dark figures declared, "/It has begun. /" In an unspoken tongue that hadn't graced upon anyone's lips for ages.  
  
After the wave of energy had flooded over the vast sea of beings, the shards of coruscating ether projected onto the one of the towers, which, in turn, amplified the beings' energy, amplified and created a warped nexus-perhaps to another dimension. The energy that projected towards the seven towers was visible enough to see eternity put to an end; to all that would oppose. 

The awakening had begun once more.

***


	2. The Darkest Shadows, The Brightest Light...

**Chapter II: The Darkest Shadows, The Brightest Lights**

_Birth of a new warrior!  Disturbance in the heavens and hells!!_

  
The white, slender tower which supported the very home of the god of the earth stood firmly as the sun, painting the sky of pink and red pigments, arose westward, hitting with its vast ultra-violet rays upon the tower.   
  
Karin-sennin hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night, as Yajirobe snored and belched all nightlong, like always.   
  
But Karin didn't need sleep, though he would have wanted to.   
  
"Ah, what a beautiful morning…what nice weather we're having," It was unusually warm (according to Karin's stifled standards). But he didn't complain.   
  
Karin opened his mouth and yawned as he took his stick and scratched his back. The white cat peered yonder over the majestic horizon and took a deep, humble sigh as he listen to the music of birds chirping and singing.  
  
Yajirobe, as usual, grumbled and drooled over dreams of women and food.   
  
Karin's susceptible ears manage to move forward as he picked up a high frequency. The vigil Karin could sense trouble up ahead, but he didn't know what. Karin had always had a very good sense of hearing, but today was one of those days in which even a blessing can even become a curse.   
  
Karin's concentration had been abruptly interrupted that he wanted to wake Yajirobe.   
  
"Hey, wake u-"  
  
"YAHHHOOOO!!!! YES!! I'M A DADDY AGAIN!!!! WAHOOO!!!" A sudden burst of noise had sent multiple jolts up Karin's nerves and he quickly lost his balance and fell to he marble floor.  
  
Karin rose up and tried desperately to recuperate. He looked back and forth to see what had just happened.  
  
Kuririn flew rapidly past Karin's tower. The emanated wind of the sonic bukujutsu caused the trees, below, to wave back and forth.  
  
"What the heck was that?! Just when I was having a good dream, until that stupid yelling woke me up!" complained Yajirobe.   
  
Then Kuririn automatically stopped and flew back toward Karin's tower.   
  
"Karin! Yajirobe! Wake up!"  
  
"I am awake," Karin interrupted as he caressed the bump on his noggin.   
  
"Guess what?!"  
  
"What!!?" They both asked simultaneously.  
  
"I'm a DADDY! He-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he…I'm a daddy, I'm a daddy, I'm a daddy," Kuririn danced and jumped up and down for joy and grasped onto Karin's paws, which Karin was not, obviously, enjoying himself.   
  
"You-yo-hey-stop-your…a…father…again?" Karin desperately tried to make a sentence.  
.   
Kuririn ceased and placed his hand behind his head.   
  
"Yup? Can you believe it?" Karin noticed Kuririn's absent nasal guffaw and cleared his throat.  
  
Yajirobe, true to his form, didn't bother to get up, moved and placed his elbow on the  
floor and placed his knuckles on his chin.   
  
"Heh. Kuririn, you old dog…you…a daddy? Again? Ha! I never thought you, out of all  
the people in the world, would be a father. Let alone two! I still can't believe #18 let you  
knock her up like that. I always thought you two were enemies. Did you get her loaded or   
something?"   
  
Kuririn ignored Yajirobe's derisive remark.  
  
"I can't wait to tell the other guys! Especially Gokuu! He'll flip!" Kuririn roared into laughter, as both Yajirobe and Karin stared back at each other. They both, as they can tell, had never seen Kuririn look so happy. Large drops of sweat had formed on the sides of their heads.   
  
"Hey so is it a boy or a girl?" asked Yajirobe.  
  
"It's a girl! I don't know what her name is yet but I'm pretty sure Juuhachi-gou knows what her name will be," Kuririn continued, "Oh look at the time! I got to go! See you guys later!" Kuririn quickly flew off as he waved toward the two. They both waved simultaneously back in return.  
  
"Whoa, maybe I should wed a robot and have kids and have a house in the country, just like Kuririn-san. That would be cool, huh?" said the stubby, vagabond monk.   
  
Karin exchanged an awkward look.  
  
"What?"  
  
***  
  
Gokuu had awaken quiet early, so early in fact, Chi-Chi was still sound a sleep. Through all the years they have been married, this was the first time he had waken before his wife.   
  
He sat up and submissively got up from the bed and went to the closet and put on his favorite orange gi. His hair was pompous as ever, typical saiyan. Then he performed his routine morning workout, starting out with his "thumb" push-ups.   
  
After he was finished, he went downstairs toward the kitchen expecting food to be laid on the table. Unfortunately for Gokuu, none was there. An expression of disappointment painted across his half-witted face.   
  
His stomach started to make ungodly noises loud enough to make anyone go Nappa. All he could think was about food and nothing was going to stop him from doing so. Not even if Chi-Chi barged in with various machine guns and weaponry. Well except for that.  
  
Gokuu made a deep sigh and mumbled, "Boy. I'm sure am hungry. I wonder if Chi-Chi has some leftovers from last night…" He busily went through the refrigerator, looking for anything to consume.  
  
Nope, no leftovers.  
  
He started caressing his empty belly, wishing that he would consume a feasts' worth of food. And then it came to him. "Maybe I can cook! I can cook for Chi-Chi! Wow, I haven't cooked since I was a boy."   
  
"Hmmm…I wonder how Chi-Chi does it…" He thought to himself.   
  
"I know!" Gokuu unconsciously took out some pots and pans and right in that moment, he heard a voice calling his name. It was then he lost his grip. The loud constant noise of pans crashing on the floor had awakened both Chi-Chi and Goten, indefinitely. 

_Gokuu, Gokuu. Are you there? The voice called._

"Kaiou-sama? Is that you?"

No… The voice replied.

"Then who is it?"

This is Kaioushin. Forgive my intrusion, but there is something needing of attention, I'm afraid.

"Kaioushin! Long time no see! What's wrong?"

_I really wouldn't know where to begin… Gokuu raised an eyebrow and replied, "Then why did you call me?"_

Gokuu…I would have contacted you sooner, but strangely I've been having trouble communicating by telepathy, as if something is blocking any communiqué. The very celestial planes of the heavens are trembling, the hells are becoming far more tumultuous and morose…I am racing ahead of myself…

Son Gokuu! Are you there? Another voice called in Gokuu's mindset.

"Wha…? Kaiou-sama!?"

Who were you talking to previously?

"Eh, Kaioushin was. What's wrong? Is Bubbles flinging poo at you again?"

The northern Kaiou looked about as agitated as a hungry hyena. He scram GOKUU! THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR JOKES! IF HE WERE, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HIM BY NOW!

"Sheesh…Kaioushin said something about heavens trembling…what is he talking about?"

Well Kaioushin is correct. There seems to be a source of ether greater expanding far beyond the reaches of heavens of the spirit realm. It seems very beautiful in a yet strange, twisted fashion. Normally, under these circumstances I wouldn't call you like this as many have been sent in to investigate the strange occurrences happening. They never came back. I cannot see what this ether or light source is coming from. Very cloudy and distorted my vision is.  So you can see why I am very troubled.

Then, unexpectedly, his stomach began to make growling noises not found in nature.

"Ah man, I'm hungry. Kaiou-sama, Kaioushin, can we talk about this later?" He spoke to the empty air.

 GOK—Immediately, the northern Kaiou was cut off by the tranquil voice of the small, purple deity. Kaiou-Sama, stop. Gokuu, I am not very sure how serious this may be. Yet this seems very familiar to me. We do not have much time. Come to the afterlife to see it for yourself then come to the Kaioushin Kai haven." 

Gokuu found himself frowning at the revelation. "Ok, I'll be right there, Kaioushin."

Listen to my words. It is imperative that you come. I shall cook you feasts upon feasts, but just come! Yelled the agitated and jaded Kaiou-Sama.

"Ok. I'll be right there." Gokuu placed his two index fingers toward his head and concentrated on his destined position. Thoughts of an angry Chi-Chi broke his concentration like glass. 

"Yikes. I hope Chi-Chi doesn't wake up too soon…"  
  
Then some soft footsteps caught his attention.  
  
"Gokuu-Sa…what are you doing?" said the exasperated, raspy voice.   
  
"Huh? Chi-Chi!! I mean…Chi-Chi. I…"  
  
"Gokuu…why are you up this early? I heard some noises and…"  
  


"Um Chi-Chi…Kaiou-Sama and Rou spoke to me telepathically. There's something going on in the spirit realm. From the sound of it seems pretty bad."

Then that means you have to go?"

"Yeah…"  
  
Chi-Chi's face changed to an unhealthy blue as she lost consciousness.  
  
"Chi-Chi!" Gokuu immediately scurried toward her. "Chi-Chi, speak to me! Say something!" Gokuu shook the unconscious woman, repeatedly, in attempt to rouse her.  
  
"Go-Gokuu…"   
  
"You're back!" Yapped the happy to see the alive but not knowing anything that had happened Chi-Chi, Gokuu.  
  
"What happened? Where am I?"  
  
"You fell and lost consciousness. Have you eaten enough lately? He, he…" Gokuu smiled sheepishly with his hand behind his head, while blushing.  
  
Chi-Chi was not amused.  
  
***  
  
_I can't wait until Gokuu and the others find out! They're going to freak! But what name should I give her...? Hmmm… Kuririn thought to himself as he touched down on the grass painted ground.   
  
He blew his unruly but graying hair from his face, facing Gokuu and Chi-Chi's humble little hut.   
  
"Ok. Here I go…" Kuririn murmured to himself.   
  
Some loud rambling had caught Kuririn's attention coming out of the small hut where Gokuu and Chi-Chi called home, but yet couldn't quite make of it. He then shifted his attention to the two flying figures above in the sky and shifted right back.  
  
The yelling began to increase in volume. Kuririn frowned as he took a step closer toward the house.  
  
Without warning, Gokuu literally busted through the door, pushed onto the curbside._

"But Chi-Chi, I have to. Why are acting like this? Is it because you are getting old and cranky?"

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes and grunted. She grabbed a nearby frying pan and ran after her life mate. 

  
Chi-Chi had trouble running after Gokuu in circles, but still had a slight edge with her iron frying pan. Gokuu was busily trying his best dodging the blows of Chi-Chi's fearsome frying pan.  
  
Kuririn could quite make of this little ordeal. He couldn't decide whether to howl in laughter or to perceive in awe or help Gokuu. He decided option number two as he saw the most powerful fighter in the universe getting unmercifully punished by his own wife in awe.   
  
Then Chi-Chi automatically stopped and noticed Kuririn. "Huh? Kuririn-san?"  
  
By the time Chi-Chi got distracted, Gokuu took this opportunity to escape his spouse' wrath by running and leaping towards Kuririn and nestling a restricting spot behind him.   
  
"Huh? Gokuu?"  
  
Chi-Chi abruptly ran towards the two, like she was chasing after her prey. Then held out her frying pan and accidentally whacked Kuririn on he head (which was meant for Gokuu), forming a deep depression on her favorite pan.   
  
"YOUUUCH!!!" Kuririn started to run in circles, clenching to his injured head.   
  
"I-I'm so sorry Kuririn-san. I didn't know you were there and Gokuu would hide behind you…" Chi-Chi turned her attention to her now deformed frying pan, knelt down and wept.   
  
Gokuu ran towards the small, injured man dipping his head into a nearby pond.   
  
"Kuririn are you alright?" Kuririn shook his head, still in the shallow pond, with bubbles seeping out.   
  
"What did you say?" Gokuu asked.  
  
Kuririn began to gasp for air as soon as he lifted his head out of the pond, "Of course I'm not!"   
  
Kuririn began to rub his injury as Chi-Chi rose and ran for the house.   
  
"Huh? Chi-Chi wait!" Gokuu exclaimed.

Then Chi-Chi stopped. "Don't-don't you dare come back until-until dinner time!" Chi-Chi quickly slammed and locked the door.   
  
"What did you do to deserve such treatment?" Kuririn asked as he chafed his injury.  
  
Gokuu cleared his throat and sighed.  
  
*  
  


"WHAT? You mean something is invading the afterlife? How can that be?" Kuririn blinked in astonishment.

"I don't know. Kaiou-Sama barely escaped the ether."

"But he's dead. And what's this about the hells being more horrible? I mean it IS hell."

"Again…I don't know. But I have a feeling that there right. I can barely feel it too." Gokuu shook his head.

  
Chi-Chi overheard Gokuu and Kuririn's conversation and sighed. Abandoning every thought of not letting them in until dinnertime, she rapidly opened the door and quickly dragged Kuririn inside and slammed the door.  
  
"Hey, that's not fair at all." protested Gokuu.   
  
"Chi-Chi. Forgive me for calling you old, but I really need to go to the afterlife." Gokuu caressed his empty stomach as he hoped to find any sympathy left inside the woman's tired soul.  
  
Chi-Chi ignoring Gokuu's every puerile plea for forgiveness, she placed a cold, wet clothe on Kuririn's noggin.  
  
Kuririn then turned his attention toward the big mess Gokuu left.   
  
_Whoa…No wonder Chi-Chi is so angry. Kuririn thought to himself.   
  
Chi-Chi folded her arms as she stood beside Kuririn and began to ask, "So Kuririn, tell me…why are you here so early in the morning?"  
  
"Well to tell you the truth, I came here to tell you guys something."  
  
"Tell us what?"  
  
Kuririn began to re-innervate all his thoughts together and let out a big, "Well I'm a DADDY AGAIN!"  
  
Chi-Chi quickly unfolded her arms and began to drop her mouth in pleasant surprise.   
  
"KURIRIN!! My goodness…we have to CELEBRATE!"  
  
She proceeded into dancing around with Kuririn. "Now I know how Karin feels like." he mumbled. Chi-Chi stopped.   
  
"What did you say Kuririn-san?" He merely shook his head.   
  
Gokuu scratched his head wondering how possibly Chi-Chi could be so happy.   
  
"Chi-Chi. Kuririn. What's going on?"  
  
"So is it a boy or a girl?" Chi-Chi asked. "Well it's a girl. She looks just like Juuhachi-gou. But She and I don't know what to call her…"  
  
"Call her Ayla! That's the name I would have chosen to name my child if it were a girl, of course."  
  
"Eh…tell that to Juuhachi-gou."  
  
"Oh I'm so happy for you Kuririn! We have to have a party! I know! I'll invite everyone we know and I'll cook an army sized worth of food!" Chi-Chi gave a big bear hug to Kuririn.  
  
"Ok then, if you won't open it, I'll have to be going then." Then without question Chi-Chi opened the door with Kuririn standing beside her.   
  
"Tell him Kuririn-san!"  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
"Well, um Gokuu…I'm a father. Again!"  
  
"…Wha…? You're a father…again? Wow, that is surprising! Is it a girl or a boy?"  
  
"It's a girl!"  
  
"Chi-Chi…I'm hungry!" Gokuu cried, totally discarding of what Kuririn told him.   
  
__Yeah, he's surprised… Kuririn thought sarcastically.  
  
"Well I'll go tell the others!" yelled out Kuririn._

"Ok then! Tell Juuhachi-gou congratulations for me!"  
  
"Ok! Bye!" Kuririn yelled as he blasted off. Gokuu began to tiptoe in a servile manner away from Chi-Chi.   
  
"As for you mister!" yelled Chi-Chi in a disapproving parental tone of voice.  
  
Gokuu stuttered, flinched, lost his balance and fell on his rear end.  
  
***

Anyone who had visited Kame-sennin Muten Roshi's isle several times always knew what to expect. With its occupants and especially a nose bleeding, perverted old man, a pig with a slight fetish with girls' panties (to say the least) and a talking slow-witted turtle could always throw off anyone who had never been to the isle before or anyone who had been living under a rock, that is. But when holding a party or some type of festivity on the trivial isle would probably lead to anything, especially when all of the Z-Senshi would attend.  
  
There was plenty of food for everyone, everyone that is, a size of an army. Chi-Chi set the tables ready as Gokuu gauged himself with anything that smelled the least bit appetizing. Chi-Chi had been yelling at Gokuu and looked she would have a nervous breakdown anytime soon.   
  
Vejiita was absent of course.  
  
Bulma pleasantly greeted everyone at the door in an utmost polite manner.   
  
"Konnichiwa, Gyuu Mao! What's with all the presents?"  
  
"Oh hello Bulma. There all for Kuririn and Juuhachi-gou's baby girl. I hope she enjoys them as much as Gohan did when he was a child," He came roaring inside as Pan and Bra ran towards the big lug asking to keep the gifts for themselves.  
  
Kuririn dressed in his best suit, Juuhachi-gou and their eldest daughter had finally arrived with the newborn babe.   
  
"Huh? Wow everyone's here!" gasped Kuririn. His last statement caught everyone's attention. Everyone rushed to see the newborn babe.   
  
"She's so beautiful, Kuririn! Oh let me hold her!" gasped Bulma.  
  
"My goodness Kuririn, she's an angel!" Chi-Chi exclaimed with astonishment.  
  
"Sure. Just try not to drop her," said Juuhachi-gou in a half-jokingly and a half don't screw around tone of voice.  
  
Then the baby began to cry very, very loud as Bulma's futile attempts to comfort her became fruitless. Then Muten Roshi scurried toward Bulma with the stench of tequila (which Oolong spiked the punch earlier).   
  
"Ah, who's the babe holding the babe? Ah-he-he-he…" Gokuu began to chuckle with his mouth filled with fried rice.  
  
Bulma squinted at the old man. "You don't have to go and traumatize the kid with your perverted little flaunts! It wasn't my idea to hold the party here in the first place you know! I should have never listened to Yamucha!" Bulma eyed Yamucha with an evil glance. Yamucha proceeded to swallow.   
  
Kuririn whispered to Goten and Trunks, "She never quite actually gets it when old men try to molest her…" Goten chuckled silently as Trunks raised an eyebrow.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!" yelled Bulma.  
  
"Uhhh…I didn't say anything!"  
  
"Aw, come now Bulma. I'm good with babies! You're a cute one aren't you? Ku-chi-ku-chi-ku!"  
  
Had Vegeta been there at the party, the old, dirty man's thoughts wouldn't have even crossed his mind. Meager attempts to nab breasts were something Roshi never tired from. Too bad Vegeta wasn't there to stop the fun.  
  
Bulma merely slapped Roshi before he could do anything.  
  
"Don't even try it old man..." Bulma's glare stabbed away at Roshi's equilibrium.  
  
"Eehh…Ok, Bulma!" Roshi responded.  
  
"You know, I would knock your lights out but I'm holding a baby, so if you don't mind, you can go and harass someone else!"   
  
Muten Roshi ignored every threat of Bulma's and started to beam his usual quirky expressions toward the baby.  
  
"Eh, Muten Roshi, I think the baby is a little scarred of you." Goten added.  
  
"Awe come little one…smile!"   
  
Half-digested formula had met with Roshi's face a lot faster than anyone could have predicted.  
  
"Gotcha." uttered Bulma.  
  
Everyone at the Kame house had began an uproar of laughter.   
  
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhm a living joke." Roshi muttered under his breath.  
  
"Heh, you're a machine Kuririn-san!" Yamucha grinned as he slapped Kuririn on the back, almost losing his balance in the process.  
  
"Heh…yeah…" he placed his hand behind his head Kuririn style.  
  
Then a tall figure had caught Kuririn's attention. "Huh? Piccolo-san! What are you doing here? I never would have expected you to be here!"   
  
"Gohan insisted I come. How many progeny do you plan to have?" Piccolo answered and asked, dryly.   
  
"Ahhh…." Kuririn mumbled to himself.   
  
"Who wants grilled shish kebabs!!?" Roshi yelled out, cooking at the grill. Goten, Trunks and Yajirobe raced each other towards the barbeque. (Earlier Trunks won their little race) Goten won this time. Trunks stuffed all the shish kebabs he could fit in his mouth in an eating contest with the others.  
  
"So what are we going to name her?" asked Kuririn. Juuhachi-gou replied, "Mayone'."   
  
"Mayone'? Is that going to be her name?"  
  
"It came first to mind."  
  
"Heh, come to think of it, I liked Ayla better…"  
  
"Ayla?"   
  
"Never mind…"  
  
"Never mind what?"  
  
"Its just a name…forget about it…"   
  
"I'll go check on the baby." Juuhachi-gou walked away in frustration.  
  
Gokuu whispered, "Women trouble, eh Kuririn-san?"  
  
"Yeah…you're an expert on that aren't you, eh Gokuu?" Gokuu smiled in accord.   
  
Hey! Tousan! Kuririn! Congratulations!" said the low tone of voice from behind.   
  
"Eh? Gohan!" Kuririn was pleasantly surprised to find Gohan with his wife, Videl, holding hands.   
  
"Here's a little present for little Mayone'." Gohan handed Kuririn a little box wrapped with glossy white paper.  
  
"Wow, thanks! You heard…right?"  
  
"Yeah, we couldn't help over hearing…" Then Videl unexpectedly gave a big hug and gave a small kiss on Kuririn's blushed cheek.   
  
"Maybe we should have another baby, eh Gohan?" voluptuously suggested Videl as she  
nudged him with her right elbow.  
  
"Videl-san? Another? But don't you think Pan is enough? Not that I'm complaining." Videl gave a wink and puckered her lips.  
  
From the chants and noise of conversation had slowly drowned out as a voice called Gokuu's name.

"Kaiou-Sama? Did something happen in the afterlife?" Gokuu spoke to empty air.

"Hey, who's dad talking too?" Goten asked, puzzled.

"It's Kaiou-Sama. Hold on a sec…"

_Gokuu! Where the hell where you!?! HUH? _

Gokuu nervously replied, "Eh, I was sort of caught up with Chi-Chi. What's happening now?"

_Well as you know, this strange force is devouring the essence and the very fabric of the afterlife! It's as if, it is crying out in pain! It even destroyed my home as well as snake way!!"_

"NANI? How?" Gokuu cringed with an unhealthy mix of surprise and fear.

_This strange ether is destroying everything in its path! I don't know where this came from, but it is likely it won't leave anytime soon. I have also sensed another disturbance in the hells. But it seems too hazy to decipher._

"This is bad…"

"Tousan, what is he saying?" Gohan asked.

"There's been an incident in the afterlife. Apparently, an evil force is invading both the heavens and the hells."

This was met with a collective gasp. "Something is invading both sides of the afterlife?" Piccolo asked, with disbelief in his voice. 

"How long has this been going on?" Tenshinhan stepped into the conversation.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure how it'll hang around for much longer," Gokuu paused for a brief moment and let the atmosphere with suspense and continued, "But there's more…"

Gokuu, I…

"Huh? Kaiou-Sama? The telepathic link must have dissipated."

"Gokuu, what did he say?" Piccolo forcefully asked.

"He was about to say something big, but the esp. link just went out."

"You don't think the souls and demons from the hells have escaped, have you?" Gohan thought aloud. 

"No. If they have, we would have felt it by now," Piccolo replied and continued, "Listen Son, use your instant movement technique to get to the afterlife and see what's going on while Gohan and I will go to Dende's lookout, while the rest keep watch. I think it'll be wise if you go now."

"Hey, why can't we go? We'll bring barrels of rum!" Oolong protested, drunk no less.

"Trrr…Don't say another word, you drunken piglet or you'll be crying for death!" Piccolo hissed.

"Alright you guys. Quit it. Piccolo take as many of them to Dende's lookout, while the rest look out for any signs." Gokuu placed his two fingers towards his forehead, concentrated on his destination and materialized from the mortal realm. 

"This is quite odd…" Bulma raised an eyebrow towards Pan embracing, Videl as she duly nodded.

***

Son Gokuu flew past of what was the remains of the near endless serpentine bridge and frowned with disbelief.  

"I can't believe this…who could have done this?" He asked the flowing winds. All the saiya-jin could see was countless streaks of yellow clouds, painting the bright horizon.

"SON!!" A deep, gargly voice called out, from the distance. Gokuu immediately yielded to the voice and turned his head.  

"Paikuhan?" Gokuu smiled, thinly. The green, amphibious warrior looked as if he was ready to fight a thousand armies. He grinned with his oversized mouth, with two slits as nostrils. His white gi and sash billowed from the gale, sweet winds of the afterlife.

"Hello Son. Fate has brought us together again I see."

"What are you doing here in the afterlife?"

"Well I am dead you know," Paikuhan smiled and continued, "I heard that something was causing much confusion in the heavens. Do you know what's going on?"

"Snake way has been destroyed as far I know. Kaiou-sama and Kaioushin told me something about a bright light or an ether taking over the afterlife. Do you know what they're talking about?

 "No, as I have not seen it with my own eyes, yet I faintly can sense it. Several other beings are searching for this force, I hear."

"Well what are we waiting for? Lets go!" Gokuu replied with meaning. 

 "Wait. Are you positively sure that Kaiou-Sama and Kaioushin had spoken too you?" Curiously, Paikuhan asked.

"Well yeah. Why?"

"I'm not sure myself if this is in fact true, but there are rumors that someone or something is taking over minds of anyone who dare encounter any telepathic voice."

"What? How can that be?" Gokuu blinked.

"Like I've said, I do not know. Come." The champion of the afterlife flew off into the distance as Gokuu quickly followed with relative ease.

Through the random, golden debris of the shattered road, an eerie sense of despair. As if the afterlife itself was crying out in pain. 

"Paikuhan, did you feel that?"

"Yes, I can sense something, but vaguely."

"Gokuu!" A voice interrupted.

"Huh? Kaiou-Sama!" The pompous northern deity of the afterlife cleared his throat as his bright hallow glistened against the ever-approaching ether and replied, "I see that you've made it, Gokuu. Paikuhan? Has that short little scoundrel of a god sent you here?"

"No. In fact I have not seen him for some time. Is it true that something is invading the afterlife?"

Kaiou-Sama's attendee quivered about and a look of disparity had painted over his face. His sunglasses flashed with light as he addressed his former student and acquaintance, the old god nodded. "I'm afraid so. I sensed unfathomable evil in my day….but never like this. As you know Gokuu, something has invaded afterlife. It is bar none, an incredible force I have never previously felt. Yet evil is just a word when comparing it to likes of this incredible force. It was prophesied even before my time, that these occurrences would come to be. It is said that a fallen god had spoken a dreaded curse on those who betrayed him. The curse would usher in a new paradise…this ether is growing stronger by each passing moment. As strange as it sounds, if this is happening in the heavens, I also sense that something ill omen is ensuing in the hells as well, at this very moment."

Paikuhan closed his eyes and cringed with anger. "I knew it."

Gokuu frowned and replied, "Who is this fallen god?"

The northern Kaiou shook his head. "I simply do not know."

"We have to warn the others...if this force is in fact taking over the afterlife, then what will happen to all the entities and souls?" Paikuhan asked.

"I can only fear the worst for them and for us, for the cycle of the afterlife will be disrupted to a point of beyond mending. The repercussions I could only think would be so great that it would also affect the multiverse of the living. Unless we find the source of this ether, I'm afraid there is little that can be done to stop this."

The tail-less Saiyajin hands gripped tightly and felt helpless to the grim situation. "Why was snake way attacked and destroyed?" Paikuhan asked.

"That I do not know. The only thing I do know is that it is imminent that you go and warn the others. By now though, most of them should know about this."

"…We have to figure this mess out soon…" Gokuu muttered. 

Paikuhan placed his hand on Gokuu's shoulder and suggested, "Son, I will warn the others in the afterlife as you warn the others in your world. We must hurry."

"Good idea. See you, Kaiou-Sama. I'll be back!" Gokuu waved as he placed both fingers toward his forehead. Right when he was about to inexplicably disappear, the same painful feeling took over their consciousness. Although it was deep into the distance, they cold see the dim lights becoming more evident by each passing moment until they became blindingly strong. From the edged of the ether, what it seemed like thousands of figures declaring war and battle cries echoed across the afterlife. Kaiou-Sama seemed near puzzled and almost shocked to see it; the foul beauty it grew as it slowly consumed multitudes of assaulting beings from all around. Gokuu could scarcely believe what his eyes and mind were letting him to comprehend. 

"Gokuu! You must hurry!" Yelled Kaiou-Sama.

"But what about you? And Paikuhan?" Gokuu asked wearily.

"Do not worry yourself. We can take care of ourselves. Just go!" Paikuhan hastily replied.

"Alright. I'll be back to tell everyone." Gokuu then disappeared into thin air from the consuming reality that was the afterlife. 

"Paikuhan, you must do the same."

"Do not worry, I will warn Enma Daiou and the other Kaious. Good luck." Paikuhan nodded and flew off into the yellow horizon.

"Hurry Gokuu. Or else everything shall fall all around." Kaiou-Sama muttered to himself in muzzled urgency.

***

"So in essence, the ether is advancing?" Piccolo asked, wearily with both arms crossed, standing resolute. It was unusually windy along Dende's lookout, and the Namek's cape and turban billowed unruly.

"Yeah. There were a bunch of fighters attacking this force of light. I couldn't see the source; it was like someone was trying to hide itself behind a barrier or a screen of ether. I hope Kaiou-Sama and Paikuhan can hold out long enough." Gokuu beamed.

Uubu looked worried for his sensei. He could barely grasp all the confusion about, but he knew something was terribly wrong. Gohan stood beside Ubuu and looked to Dende's direct as Dende contemplated a loud, "This isn't good, this isn't good at all." He held his staff in place and worried like an appointed Kami would do. For near two decades, the namek had watched over the earth in light of past events of the likes of the rampage of Cell as well as Majin Buu, yet he always maintained a relative composure, even in times of trouble. Deep inside he knew this was quite different then previous dealings with beings of ridiculous power simply blowing up planets. 

"I wonder if this would affect the hells too…" Gokuu pondered.

Piccolo answered, a bit annoyed, "The real pressing matter is that we need to find out is where this force is coming from and how we'll prevent it from reaching any further."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Dende replied with worry, "the boundaries of the afterlife are so myriad in their complexity that there are no boundaries."

Gokuu began to scratch as his head and beamed a blank stare. Gohan broke his silence and spoke, "Is there any way to stop this force? Maybe we could use the dragon balls to wish it away…?"

"Perhaps, but this type of wish seems a bit far from Shenron's capacity."

"Why's that?" Piccolo asked.

"First of all, this force is in the afterlife. Shenron has more or less a better chance of fulfilling a wish within the material or mortal realm, rather than fulfilling a wish that is centered on a higher plane it cannot reach. As you know, it can bring the souls of the dead back to life, but that is far its power goes into the realm of the afterlife."

"Damn. There must be a way…" Piccolo beamed. 

"So what now?" Gohan asked, frustrated, turning to his father.

"Well, I really don't think we can do anything for now, until we know who were exactly dealing with." 

Dende shuttered at the thought of his reoccurring nightmares of his brethren, screaming in anguish, out in the dead air of the cold, coming to reality. 

***

It had been traveling for ages.  
  
The ship that wasn't a ship had graced the heavens had been traveling for what it seemed like an eternity had crossed galaxy from galaxy, timeline to timeline.   
  
Invisible to reality, invulnerable to time; it had shot across space, aimlessly. Solar winds blew from the ship as it breached toward the western galaxy, left in absolute chaos.  
  
But if one would peer inside the ship (and posses sheer power and the audacity to do such a thing) would discover someone had been in there for centuries looked very feminine. From the various, unruly braids to the undeniably female aspects of the body itself, the figure were blanketed by the very shadows of space.  
  
Through all the hazardous condition her ship has been through; whether it be meteorite fields, magnetic storms, black holes, the extreme hellish temperatures of local stars to even an occasional shoot out with another battleship, the ship still managed to attain its original, untarnished state. Even what is more miraculous is that, she had managed to reach the edges of the northern galaxy in such an amazing short amount of time, thanks to Kanjieka-jin technological advances.   
  
Thirty-six days, not that bad from traveling from one galaxy to another. Before, the very thought of traveling in such long distances was roughly improbable. But the ship still had suffered quite enough damage, but luckily its self-stabilization had been initialized.   
  
It is said that if you stare long enough into the cold, desolate space, you can actually reflect on your very soul, the very foundation of your being. But she never did such a thing. She would rather think of survival; what would happen when she finally closes in on her yet finalized destination.  
  
_/Now entering the boundaries of the eastern quadrant of the northern galaxy/ the artificial voice spoke within the main computer of the vessel, in an entirely alien language.  
  
The vessel quickly passed of what it looked like; the remains of the old Nameksei, not to mention the not to far off small purple rock, Yardratsei.  
  
But what seems foremost troublesome, the vessel seemed to be heading straight toward its yet final destination of which Gokuu and co. call home.  
  
Earth.  
  
_

***


	3. Welcome Back, Legend of the Brave!

**Chapter III: Welcome back, Legend of the Brave!  
_Legend of the Brave is back! Assemble earth's strongest fighters!!_**

  
Uubu-kun landed with celerity upon the marble floor of formerly-Kami's lookout creating small wisps of fractures in the process. He had been practicing and training non-stop for almost a year or so, as his strength increased almost dramatically. Entering the Room of Spirit and Time was still another obstacle to overcome, but he had a cogitation of readiness. He hadn't felt so ready since participating in the 28th Tenkaichi Budoukai. His village and family nonetheless would certainly be proud of him if they could see them right now, he thought to himself as he wiped the perspiration off his brow. 

He then walked toward Mr. Popo, who had been tending to his little sentimental garden.  
  
"Mr. Popo, when will Gokuu come back to train with me?" Mr. Popo quickly turned his head towards the boy. To Mr. Popo, Uubu was just a re-incarnation of the dreaded Buu. Heaven forbid that he would ever revert back to his old self again.  
  
Mr. Popo sighed ever so apprehensively. "Mr. Popo isn't sure…maybe Son Kun will arrive shortly. I hear that he and some of the others have been searching for the dragon balls. He doesn't forget things like this-or does he…?"   
  
"Hello!" Gokuu greeted as his Instantaneous Movement easily vexed Mr. Popo.   
  
"Sensei!" Uubu greeted.   
  
"Hello Uubu! Would you like to continue you're training? I think it would be wise if we trained before anything happens… "  
  
"Hai! --But I was hoping that I-aah-I mean we could train in the Room of Spirits."  
  
"That's Room of Spirit and Time! Hey, Mr. Popo, can we u-"   
  
Popo interrupted, "Yes, you both can use it. But for how long?"   
  
Gokuu placed his hand on his chin; cogitate in thought.  
  
"Two days. Or two years for us-that is. How does that sound Uubu?"  
  
"Hai! That would be good!" Uubu's voice cracked with joy.   
  
"By the way Mr. Popo-san, where is Dende?"  
  
Gokuu's cheerful expression had sunk.  
  
"Sensei, what's wrong?" The air cracked with silence for a brief moment.   
  
Gokuu raised his head toward the sky and glanced for a moment and lowered back down.   
  
"I feel something...something is wrong…"   
  
He hadn't felt a ki this radical since the days of the Cell game when Gohan went Super Saiya-jin two.   
  
But it couldn't be anyone he currently knew. Gohan had stopped training eons ago. Probably Gohan was just raising his ki to see if he was still strong.   
  
Gokuu looked down at the boy, startled from his thoughts.   
  
"Eeeh," he sighed, glancing briefly back up into the sky.   
  
"Something's happening out there, that's all. I suppose I should go see what it is." Uubu nodded.   
  
Gokuu tugged at the boy's hair and grinned.   
  
"I don't think we should see about it just yet. Maybe it is Gohan or Vegeta or Piccolo-san…" Mr. Popo suggested.  
  
"Nah, I would know if it was theirs, but I don't sense any real fighting. But if something were to go wrong I would go and check."  
  
Mr. Popo nodded and sighed.   
  
"Now Uubu, lets go in the Room of Spirit and Time and see if you can mature fighting wise, ok?" Uubu's sensei implied.   
  
Uubu happily responded, "Hai!" He did look indeed he was ready to over-come any obstacle, like any good pupil. With both fists clenched and eyes firm, he was about to take another bold leap into ascension.   
  
They both walked cautiously toward the large, white room. Mr. Popo followed them, slowly. He stepped beside the large door and presented.  
  
"This," he said, "is the Room of Spirit and Time," Gokuu smiled thinly.  
  
Uubu-kun gulped.   
  
***  
  


Gohan briefly glanced at his watch, anxiously checking the time before he could finish his ever SO big final exam.  
  
Usually, he would be the bastion of good timing and sense by finishing it a lot earlier than most of his fellow peers. But today was not one to expect fate smiling.  
  
Seeing that the room was half-empty, he paced a whole lot faster throughout the last part of the Quadra physics exam. Then finally he finished, left the classroom with a half relieved and half worried expression met with Videl's.  
  
"So Gohan, how did you do?" Videl asked as she grasped Gohan's arm.  
  
"Considering that this is the very last test before I actually go into the field of a scholar, I think I bombed...plus the whole after life thing. Dad is really worried…"  
  
"Ah come on. You aced all of your other exams, plus you crammed last night like no tomorrow, I don't see you actually failing anything. You guys always pull through, I mean you did defeat Buu."  
  
"There's always a first for everything." Gohan replied with a sigh.  
  
"Oh Gohan, you worry too much. And before you ask, I asked Gyuu Mao if he could watch Pan."  
  
"Am I that predictable?" asked Gohan.  
  
"Only when you're tense and stressed over all that."  
  
"There's a reason…"  
  
"Never mind. Anyway, well I think I got a "C" on my final if it'll make you feel any better."  
  
Out of nowhere, Gohan took Videl by the legs and picked her up as if she was the damsel in distress.  
  
"Now is this predictable?"  
  
"You know I might be a little more convinced if you actually took me and kissed me ever so passionately."  
  
Gohan chuckled a bit, although a bit embarrassed.  
  
"You gave me that same look before Pan had been born."  
  
"I...I did?"   
  
"Yep. And you still managed to retain that youthful look."  
  
"Aww, you're such a sweet heart. Thank you!" Videl's expression became more light-hearted then usual.   
  
Videl herself chuckled at the fact they had been together for so long but yet Gohan possessed that undeniable boyish charm. Videl then, unexpectedly, covered Gohan's face with kisses before he had even realized. Gohan then went in for the kill as he kissed Videl between the lips, with his glasses dropping in the process.  
  
"Hey you two get a room! Disgusting!" Yelled a familiar voice.  
  
Gohan paused for a moment from kissing, knelt down to pick up his glasses, put them back on, squinted and saw that Sharpener, standing steadfast. He had deemed some formal attire, which looked like he was on his way to get married as his unruly, golden hair was tied into a long ponytail.  
  
"I knew I would find you here!"  
  
"Oh hey! What are you doing here?" Gohan replied.  
  
"Hey, its that any way to respond to a recent honorary inductee of Mr. Satan's Sleeping Dragon Clan?"  
  
"Sleeping Dragon Clan...? Did I miss something?" Gohan asked while scratching his head.  
  
Videl literally sprinted towards Sharpener and gave him a big hug.   
  
"Oh wow! Sharpener! I haven't seen you in such a long time! That's wonderful! My father is training you?"  
  
Gohan had never seen Videl so excited since the day she found out that she was pregnant with Pan.   
  
"Yes. Training with your father is of the highest honor. I just hope I can live up to his expectations." Gohan seemed surprised by this revelation. Sharpener, a disciple of Mr. Satan?  
  
"Hey Videl! Still with this loser chump Gohan? Heh, heh..." Sharpener added jokingly.  
  
"Ha, ha...ha..." Videl's robust expression went down a watt.  
  
"I'm just pulling your tail Gohan!" Sharpener swatted Gohan on the back, leaving Gohan whether to laugh with or take his comment personal. Sharpener continued, "Wow, it's been so long since I transferred out of here...So what'd I miss while I was gone?"  
  
Gohan muttered to himself, "Well..."  
  
"Gohan and I got married!" Videl interrupted as she jumped back to Gohan's side.  
  
"Congratulations! I'm not surprised, they way you two were exchanging saliva. Ha, ha..."   
  
Gohan placed his hand behind his head as he muttered, "Yeah..."  
  
"But you know Videl, you could have always married me!" Sharpener winked towards Videl.  
  
"But then Videl would lose her sanity."  
  
Videl cleared her throat and then asked, "So what's the occasion?"  
  
"Well since I'm being inducted to the clan, I have to look my sharpest." Sharpener, pointed out. He tugged to the lowest part of his collar and smiled almost diabolically.  
  
"Um...well, congratulations on joining." said Gohan.   
  
"Ha, ha, look at this guy! You'd think..." Sharpener's voice had drowned out while something captured Gohan's attention.  
  
There, a small girl in a typical schoolgirl uniform had roamed across the campus. It was unusual to see a little girl in any university. Perhaps she as gifted for her age, Gohan thought to himself.  
  
She seemed so different and at the same time, so oddly familiar. Her pale skin stood out like the winter sun. Her deep, dark crimson hair was spiky enough for her to be a saiya-jin, minus the tail. But what had really captured Gohan's attention were her eyes. They illuminated with a faint, hoary pigment as they met with Gohan's. And before he could even blink...  
  
"Gohan...GOHAN!" Videl yelled.  
  
"Wha...What? Oh sorry, I got distracted for a second..."  
  
"By what? That chick with the rack?" Sharpener added blatantly.  
  
"Rack...wha? No, it was..."  
  
"That expression is priceless! Admit it Gohan, you were looking weren't you? Don't worry, what all the guys here wouldn't do to get with her."  
  
"Sharpener don't be silly, Gohan would never do such a thing."  
  
"Ha! If I were married I would still do the same. Get over it! She was nice to look at and Gohan just admired her...um, you know..."  
  
Videl shook her head in modest disapproval toward Sharpener.   
  
"Hey don't look at me like that!" Sharpener responded.  
  
Gohan turned his head again to find the girl again, only to see that she was gone.  
  
"Gohan? What are you looking at? Is it that girl?" Sharpener pointed out towards the very attractive woman socializing with another of her friends.   
  
"Yes, I mean no! I mean..."  
  
"He did it again! I love screwing around with you bud. Crap, look at the time! Got to get going to the inductory meeting ceremony. See you later guys!"  
  
"No wait Sharp, were coming with you. I can't believe dad didn't mention this. We both wouldn't want to miss it now would we Gohan...?" Videl asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Uh...No! Of course not!"  
  
"Ok. Hurry up! Don't want to be late for my own ceremony. Come on, we'll ride in my hover car."  
  
"We'll talk about this later Gohan..." whispered Videl with the most moody tone of voice Gohan had heard since her pregnancy.  
  
Gohan himself gulped. "Oh boy…what a day..."  
  


***  
  
By mid-afternoon, light showers had begun to pour on Capsule Corporation. Thunder and lightening hadn't found its way over the area and Bulma was thankful for that.  
  
Pulling out a cigarette, Bulma haphazardly yawned and wiped her forehead with the back of an arm. She quickly lit it and inhaled almost immediately.   
  
"Huh, that's weird. The seismograph is going off the chart…but there's no earthquake…huh." Bulma muttered in bemusement.  
  
Glancing back down at the reflection of her latest project, a familiar face pinged at the forefront of her mind and quickly took the cigarette out of her mouth.  
  
"Shouldn't you be training in the gravity room?"  
  
"Feh, shouldn't you stop smoking those damned things...?" replied back the widow peaked warrior.  
  
Vejiita stood at the doorway with a white towel placed on his shoulder. He found himself sweating from the brow, frowning toward Bulma's nasty little habit.  
  
"I can't help smoking..."  
  
Instead of answering back, Vejiita walked closer towards his aging wife, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"I would take them away if I wanted to by force…"  
  
"But you won't and it's simple as that." sharply replied Bulma.  
  
"After all these years you still have a knack of being stubborn! Women! Humans! BAH!"  
  
"Ha! You sir, need some therapy…"   
  
"WHAT!?! THERAPY!? If I want 'therapy', I'll go and find something to raze. Feh, therapy…therapy for the weak!"  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes, and without saying another syllable, walked out of the laboratory and decided to go outside and bask in some moist, mid-day air, regardless of what Vejiita said.   
  
Bulma sighed as she dropped her cigarette and crushed it with her the sole of her shoe. Vejiita then placed his hand on her shoulder and chuckled under his breathe as heard by thousands of people before their inevitable deaths.  
  
"What's so funny?" Bulma asked.  
  
"Nothing. On Vejiitasei, females who disobey their spouses are considered treasonous." Said Vegeta, to stir his wife.  
  
"What the hell does that mean…?"   
  
As Bulma tried to finish her sentence, a sudden flash of brilliant light shone through the smoke and gliding dust. Through the dust, an oval shaped machine vaguely made itself visible. Naturally, it caught their attention and they immediately went to investigate.   
  
"Wait, Bulma. You stay here…" Without questions, Vejiita flew off to see what had landed in front of the Capsule Corp. building. Vejiita tensed up; ready for anything.  
  
Then a tall, distant figure caught Vejiita's attention. The dark figure came out from the temporal mist. Before Vegeta could even move, Bulma yelled, "Tapion! Wait Vegeta! Don't do anything!"  
  
Indeed it was Tapion. Tapion smiled as he greeted in an utmost polite manner, "Hello, there. How are you? Where are all the others?"  
  
Vejiita thought that this character was the one who nearly destroyed this planet but quickly reminded himself that the demonic leviathan had been hidden inside Tapion's soul and was already destroyed by Kakarotto-damn him for finishing it off before he could rise and destroy it himself-at least the damned demon suffered a little before its anti-climatic demise, for destroying his house. Grinding his teeth in annoyance, he stared at Tapion, without reducing one bit of his guard.

"I said WAIT! Vejiita, its only Tapion! Don't do ANYTHING!" Bulma yelled as she heavily exhaled while running. He stopped and tried to refrain Vejiita from doing anything irrational.  
  
"Vejiita…just stay…"  
  
"But, Bulma…"  
  
"Tapion! It's so good to see you! It's been such a long time! Trunks will be so excited!" She exclaimed and hugged Tapion in surprise while ignoring Vegeta in the process. _Boy did Bulma have energy.  
  
Vejiita raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms in a disapproval type of fashion.  
  
"Why didn't you visit us sooner? Why…who's this?" Bulma kneeled to the small, quite possibly younger figure besides him.  
  
"Why this is Minoshia, my brother. Say hello to Bulma!" Tapion suggested while ignoring the other guy besides Bulma.  
  
"Hi. I'm honored to meet you." Bulma grinned widely and greeted him, "Oh! Of course! So this is the brave little warrior I heard so much about." Minoshia blushed and grinned back.   
  
Vejiita grunted in disgust but kept silent.  
  
"Why I have to get Trunks and Goten and Gokuu. They'll be ecstatic!"  
  
Tapion smiled on again.  
  
***  
  
As Gokuu and Uubu made their first steps inside, a voice called their attention. Gokuu turned his head and saw Dende holding a tall staff at the doorway to the Room of Spirit & Time.   
  
"Gokuu, thank Kami. I've reached you just in time. Yajirobe informed me that Bulma had wanted you to come to Capsule Corporation as soon as possible. Would you know what they're inferring?"  
  
Gokuu beamed a blank stare for a moment.  
  
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. What's going on? Is there some kind of trouble?"  
  
"No-no. Nothing to that extent. She mentioned something about a Tapion…Would you know what she is talking about?" Dende asked.  
  
Gokuu's face brightened up. "No kidding! Tapion's here? WOW!"  
  
"Tap-ion?" Uubu asked, trying to make out each syllable.  
  
"I take that as a yes." Dende replied.  
  
***  
  
Muten Roshi watched the Konatsu warrior from a distance. Studying and training for so long had made him somewhat as an overseer, like any sensible sensei. The eternally aging Muten Roshi was indeed impressed by the warrior's poise and strength. Although Tapion's power never really came close to most of the saiya-jin prowess, containing a demon within his being for little over a millennia would without question, count as having some sort of power. Perhaps, the warrior's strength delved mostly in the category of defense rather than brute offense. Muten Roshi's train of thought had all but disappeared in the wake of a reunion.  
  
"Brother!" exclaimed the somewhat older Trunks, which Tapion hadn't laid his eyes on in years. Before Tapion could say anything else, Trunks found himself gripping Tapion's hand in a gesture._

  
"You've grown so much Trunks! I can sense you're power…you're becoming quite the warrior yourself."  
  
"Heh, thanks!"  
  
"Brother?" Minoshia thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, you must be Minoshia! You can be my younger brother. What do you say?" Trunks suggested.  
  
Minoshia looked back up to Tapion for reassurance as Tapion quietly nodded.   
  
"Sure!"  
  
"Hey Bulma, how many parties do you plan on making?" Goten asked.  
  
"Didn't you're mother teach you some manners, young man? Maybe you could be just a little more grateful that Tapion's here."  
  
"But…but…"  
  
"Now Trunks, who are all these people? Are they you're friends?"  
  
"Well, yeah you can say that. Over there is Muten Roshi and, and over there is Yamucha besides the green guy which by the way is Piccolo-san. He hails all the way from Namek." Tapion was struck quite odd to see such a warrior but quickly shifted his attention back towards Trunks.  
  
Trunks then noticed Tapion barring a quiver carrying what it seemed, a newly formed sword.   
  
"Hey brother, is that a new sword? Looks cool." Tapion drew his sword as light reflected from it. The sword itself drew attention from the others at the welcome party.  
  
"Hai. Its been made from the holiest of mineral. It's a great weapon when it comes to fighting. It can slice a falling hair in twain. Njanai has blessed us." The sword's blade, almost four feet long, had words and symbols elegantly embedded along the length of the blade. The handle was gold with a large emblem crested in the pommel.   
  
"If you made a new sword then you must have made a new ocarina."   
  
"…No. Since Hildegarn was destroyed there was no real need to make a new one."   
  
"Oh…"  
  
Then suddenly Tapion felt a hand grabbing at his shoulder and turned his head.   
  
"Tapion! It's been such a long time. Good to see you my friend!"  
  
"Gokuu!" Tapion was definitely happy to see Gokuu and all the others. They greeted each other, threw in a few stories and jokes and it was then Tapion made a compromise.  
  
"You are all more than welcome to come along with us back to Konatsu. You could also train there if you'd like." At least most of the participants most likely agreed to come along.  
  
"That'll be great! I've never been to Konatsu…wait…the afterlife…"

"What about it?" Tapion asked.

"It's a long story, Tapion. There's some weird force invading the afterlife. We're not really sure who's behind it." Trunks stepped in.

'Nani? That's terrible! What about your gods?" Then Tapion noticed a misty vortex forming at the center of the backyard of the Capsule Corp. building and narrowed his eyes. From the temporal mist, came an old, minute witch sitting atop of a large, crystal ball and behind her, walked an ancient deity. 

"Baba? Kaiou-Sama?" Piccolo beamed.

"Hey, what's going on, King Kai?" Yamucha addressed the northern Kaiou by his nickname, but this time the deity let it slide and beamed, "Excuse me, but this concerns everyone."

"What it is?" Gokuu asked.

"I am here partly because I cannot communicate with anyone via telepathy. Its as if something is blocking all communication. Very odd," He then began to clear his throat and eyed the legend of the brave with worry, "I see that you have a visitor."

"Hai. This is Tapion. The one I told you about…the legend of the brave." Gokuu readily answered.

"Ah, of course. And what brings you here, Tapion?"

"I have come with my brother to visit Trunks and the others. From what I hear you're situation is dire." Tapion's voice took a more serious tone.

"Indeed."

"Kaiou-Sama. Tapion invited us to Konatsu…"

"NO! Absolutely not!" Kaiou-Sama yelled. 

Gokuu blinked baffled, "Why not?" 

"Do I have to remind you? The afterlife is in great peril! ARE YOU MAD?" 

"With no disrespect Kaiou-Sama, Tapion came a long way from Konatsu to visit us. I think it would be rude not to except." Gokuu bent half way to whisper in the northern Kaiou's large ear.

"Gokuu, now is not that time for pleasantries! I came here because of the advancement of our situation. The ether…it's become stronger. Countless warriors of many galaxies have come to prove their worth by challenging this force, but to no avail. As strong as they may seem, they have little effect. Paikuhan is alerting much of the points of the heavens. I'm afraid there's little else we can do…"

"Kuso. There must be a way…" Piccolo grumbled.

"Hey, what did you say about a fallen god? About a prophecy…" Gokuu scratched his head, looking a bit constipated.

"…Yes. The deals are a bit obscure and vague, but it is said that this god, before he was stripped of his omniscience, he uttered a curse on all what is now the celestial planes. I suppose this curse is the source of the ether. It lay dormant for eons, but now…"

"Hey, I know! Why don't you guys go into Tapion's home world and we can deal with the ether from there!" Bulma exclaimed.

"You know that's not a bad idea! What do you think Kaiou-Sama?" Gokuu looked in his former sensei's soul.

"I am not sure, but it is not as if we have any other options…"

"Hey Vejiita, do you want to come along with us? You can train and spar there!" Gokuu yelled.   
  
Then Tapion walked behind Vejiita, placed his hand on his shoulder and asked, "You must be Trunk's father. You are more than welcome to come along with us."  
  
The saiya-jin prince turned towards the elfin figure and dejected, "Feh…I wouldn't be caught dead on your damn planet." Vejiita brushed Tapion's hand aside and walked away, steadfast. Vejiita had no trouble-offending people he hardly knew. Tapion blinked in an odd fashion and his expression lowered down a watt.  
  
"Don't worry about him, he's like that with everyone." Trunks reassured him with a smirk.  
  


"You know Vejiita does have a point. Some have to stay behind in case something does happen." Piccolo pointed out.

"I guess you're right…why don't Trunks and maybe a few others join with Tapion on his way home."

"My people are looking forward to see you, Son Gokuu. It would most dissapoint them if they do not see you in person." Tapion smiled.

"Um…I guess I'll be going then! Tomorrow morning we head of to Konatsu. I can't wait!" Gokuu declared.  
  
"Then I'm coming too." Said a beginning to be raspy, feminine voice.  
  
"Bulma? But…"  
  
"Why not? Is it just because I'm female? Is that it?"   
  
"Its not that…its just…"  
  
"Just what?"  
  
Then Gohan interrupted and filled in for his father, "Its just we need someone who can build a time machine that can support more than one person. Let's see we have, what, six people who going to Konatsu. So the only person here who can actually build such a contraption is you. Plus if we would run into some trouble, you could always send us another machine to get us back."  
  
"Well…all right. But just remember who actually built the original Hope machine."  
  
Goten and Trunks then gave a high five at each other and laughed.   
  
***  
  
"C'mon Chi-Chi, it'll only be for a couple of days. Besides, it's just Tapion who invited us. And plus, were going to be the guests of honor on his planet, I suppose."  
  
"I'm sorry Gokuu but the last time you went into outer space, I nearly went mad with worry. Not only for you but also for Gohan. Plus you just got here. You need to hold up to your end of the bargain mister." Gokuu sighed once again.  
  
"Bargain…what bargain…?"  
  
"Look, I just don't want you to leave so suddenly…You leave me for a year without any contact and expect me to just let you go?"  
  
"…Yeah…"  
  
Hearing Gokuu's response, Chi-Chi had almost lost her balance.   
  
"But the thing is I'm not really going into space. I'm going back in time to another planet called Konatsu. It's the home of the Legend of the Brave! Or at least I think that's how it goes."  
  
"I don't care if it's the home for the pope. If you're going, then I'm going too."  
  
"Oh, Chi-Chi…"  
  
_"Now everyone's spouses want to go…" Gokuu thought.   
  
"I'm just worried something might happen…"  
  
"Its not like I'm going to fight anyone. It'll only be for a couple of days and before you know it, bam! Were back!"  
  
Gokuu held Chi-Chi, in his embrace and made a wink but to no avail, it did not ease the heaviness in her heart. Gokuu picked up is bag of things for the trip and kissed Chi-Chi on her forehead and said his farewells.  
  
"Gokuu…" Chi-Chi muttered to herself in solace.  
  
***  
  
Amidst the rising sun, a warm breeze brushed against Pan's hair as she was held up close to Videl's embrace. As Pan could tell, almost everyone had gathered in front of the Capsule Corporation building. She was mystified as to whom that guy with the big ears was standing with all the others. Videl had the look of worry in her eyes as Gohan held her up close and kissed his wife and daughter.  
  
"I promise we'll be back by Saturday. Just try not to worry." Said Gohan.  
  
"For the one hundredth time just go."  
  
"Its not like I don't want you to go but with Pan and all…"  
  
"I'll be fine Gohan. Just enjoy your time there and try not to worry yourself to death about me and Pan so much. Ok?"  
  
"Ditto for you."  
  
"Daddy, I wanna go to." Pan reached over toward her father.  
  
"Sorry honey. Daddy's been invited and there isn't enough room to fit everyone." Pan pouted and stared into Gohan's ebony eyes.   
  
"Just don't give me that look…*sigh* Too late…"  
  
"Wow! I can't believe were actually going to the Legend of the Brave's home planet! Woo-hoo!" Goten celebrated in front of the newly crafted time machine Bulma had built. The word 'Hope' had been embedded in front of the machine just like the previous model. The craft had been built specifically to travel through time. It resembled something out of an intergalactic sci-fi novel, only smaller--much smaller. Tapion was amazed on how such little time was spent making this ship. Bulma was definitely handy when it came to building anything that had to do with electronics and myriad programming.  
  
"Why Bulma, this is incredible!" Tapion gasped.  
  
"I had help. A lot of help actually."  
  
"All right, I guess everyone's here. Is the ship ready Dr. Briefs?" asked Gokuu.  
  
"Yes, all the coordinates are set and the ship is good as ever. Trying to emulate my daughter's original concept was a challenge but I've managed to improve on it and so…"  
  
"Kuririn-san! Over here!" Gokuu interrupted as he waved.  
  
"Yeah Gokuu!" Kuririn waved back as he walked towards the leaving party.  
  
"So did you ask her?"  
  
"Yeah but I realized that if I went, the kids would be much of bear on Juu, and I don't want to burden her."  
  
"Don't mind him. Of course you can go dear." Juuhachi-gou gave Kuririn a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Wha…? But Juu, what about the new baby? How are you going to manage without me?"  
  
"I'll manage…believe me. I could always ask your friends' wives for help."  
  
"Now were talking! So it's settled. We now have eight people going."  
  
"Eight?" Kuririn asked.  
  
"Uubu's coming along too. I think he needs a break from all the training he's done, right Uubu?" Uubu simply nodded and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Just be careful with my husband, he's quite fragile you know." Juuhachi-gou jokingly implied.   
  
"Pssst, Juu…don't make me look bad in front of the others…"  
  
"I wonder if Yamucha and Tenshinhan and Chaouzu are coming…" Gokuu wondered.  
  
"If they were, they would be here by now…" Kuririn pointed out.  
  
"I'm right here." Yamucha whispered behind Kuririn.  
  
"Bah! Don't do that…"  
  
"Heh, couldn't help it."  
  
"So are you coming along?" Gokuu asked.  
  
"Nah, I really don't like to travel to other planets all that much. Besides I got's me a new 786 Corona fully loaded with all the goods. I'm thinking on taking a road trip with Puar. Heck, maybe I'll meet up with some foxy ladies…" Yamucha immediately place his shades, beaming a glaring grin.  
  
"Yeah…Kami willing." Kuririn muttered, eyes rolling.  
  
"That's sounds great! Too bad you couldn't tag along…what about Tenshinhan and Chaouzu?"  
  
"Last time I checked on them they were traveling along the northern tundra. You wouldn't catch me there…"   
  
"So is everyone ready?" asked Tapion. _

"I sure am!" Trunks greeted with his sword nestled on his back. "Good to see you again Trunks."

"Good to see you too." Trunks smiled. Indeed, everyone was ready to depart and said their last goodbyes to their loved ones.  
  
"Bye everyone!" Gokuu yelled.  
  
Then Bulma inexplicitly yelled, "Just remember, you're being transported to the past now…don't do anything I wouldn't do!"  
  
"Be careful!" Chi-Chi yelled back. Gokuu was the last one to board the ship and so on his way in, he beamed a big thumbs up.  
  
The outer hatch closed and the almost oval shaped ship levitated in mid-air as exhaust poured out of the ship, causing the strongest winds to invade the area. A small figure stood amongst the pouring exhaust. Watching. Waiting. But the figure did not catch anyone's immediate attention.   
  
The ship began to fly upward with incredible speed until at long last it blended into the morning horizon.  
  
* * *


	4. Perpetual

**Chapter IV: Perpetual  
_Welcome to Konatsu! Gokuu is our savior!!_**

  
The perpetual twin suns' tender light illuminated auspiciously over Konatsu's yellow surface. Winds of splendor, carrying flakes of the suns' light, soared throughout the sacred holy temple of Konatsu, carrying with its currents an odd shaped leaf. It was a deep crimson pigment with an odd, complex structure. It had finally landed on one's neck. He took it from his neck and let the wind carry it away.  
  
Minoshia wasn't used to seeing people other than his own race, the Konatsu-jin. In fact seeing all of these people he hardly knew made him somewhat uncomfortable. But alas, that didn't stop him from accompanying their guests of honor.

None of the guests of honor, however, could anticipate what a metropolitan city that graced an entirely alien civilization would exactly look like-of course that would be left up to the omniscient.     
  
"Wow. So this is Konatsu. It looks so much more incredible then I thought!" Gasped the purple haired youth.  
  
"*Sigh* I hope Isabella won't be pissed at for canceling our date…" Goten muttered with both arms behind his head.  
  
"Aw come on. You'll have plenty of chances to go out with her. We're all on Konatsu for cripes sake! Forget about it!" Trunks gave a slap on Goten's back and grinned.   
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…"  
  
Minoshia blinked in bewilderment.   
  
Tapion led the way toward the holy temple as the rest of followed. Gohan was amazed at the structural surroundings. Each building's size was ten times larger than any skyscraper he's previously jumped or flown from. The temples in front of him were reminiscent to Roman architecture in the pictures of encyclopedias he read as a boy-but only bigger--much, much BIGGER. The palace itself looked as if it had been carved from the purest of ivory, with long, almost wing-like structures extending all around and towards the heavens above. Surrounding the temples were various types of vegetation followed by a clear as glass moat, spanning would it seemed for miles. It looked like something out of a painting from the renaissance.   
  
"Right here is the holy temple of the goddess, Njanai, the mother of all life." Tapion declared.  
  
"How long did it take to build this?" Gohan asked.  
  
"It's well over hundreds of thousands of years old. No-one truly knows how long it was when the ancients originally built it." Tapion accelerated his walking speed toward the fortress like temple and saw a figure blocking his way.  
  
"Tapion!" The figure called.  
  
"Everyone this is Datcyde, royal guard of the Holy Magistrate, Lady Rezaa."   
  
"Why do you give such mundane titles, o' Legend of the Brave?" Datcyde jokingly asked.   
  
Datcyde's long, color-less hair drooped down all the way to his lower back, covering the official Konatsu emblem, which he bore. His armor was fit for the noblest of nobles and many awards to prove it. Strangely, he was a bit thinner then most of the lower ranking guards but his poise and technique even contested against the strongest of warriors.   
  
"Ah so this is the legendary Son Gokuu I've heard so much about. 'A golden dragon shot from within and vanquished the eternal demon from its mortal coil.' An excerpt from the newly written scrolls, I might add."  
  
Kuririn couldn't believe what he was hearing.   
  
Gokuu's eyes widened with disbelief as he bared witness to a large statue built in his honor: a golden dragon transcending from the fires of a male figure. The actual detail of the sculpture was beyond belief.  
  
"Whoa…" Goten muttered.  
  
"'Whoa' is right…" Trunks added.  
  
"This is incredible! WOW! How did you build this thing so big?" Gokuu was more than simply pleasantly surprised; his expression was ever so astounded. Gokuu raised his head until his face met with the twin suns and placed his hand on his forehead to block the sunlight from hitting his face.  
  
"Wow dad, you certainly are popular around here." Gohan whispered over to Gokuu's ear.  
  
"No kidding…" Goten added.  
  
"And these are your friends?" Datcyde asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, these are my two sons Gohan and Goten and this is my best friend Kuririn and this is Trunks and…"  
  
"Come, come! You can tell me their names when we get inside. Why are we standing around here like statues? Follow me this way!" And so they did.  
  
Far into the palace grounds, they made past the walls that separated the palace grounds from the rest of the city. Covered mostly by shadow except for the light that shined eerily out of the North Tower - the Elders' tower lay the palace. It was the bane of every of would-be conqueror that dared attack the capital city of Konatsu, Konpu. Many had tried but none could take the palace. It looked as if it had been carved from one stone. The walls were tall and stout; imperial archers patrolled the walls, their eyes missing nothing as they peered down onto the streets below. At the gate stood a dozen palace guards armed with golden blades that guarded the only entrance to the palace. The palace was virtually invincible, which no invading army could take. Outside the palace grounds, the capital city spread across the landscape, intertwined with other neighboring cities, as it would take, literally, days to cross.  
  


When they reached inside the palace temple, voices of disbelief echoed from wall to wall. The ceiling was painted with the most beautiful and dynamic of figures and scenery, somehow reminiscent of Michael Angelo's Sixteenth Chapel. It seemed as though it told a story of the whole Konatsu history with strictly images. The internal structure looked like something out of a twisted fantasy novel. It's angular shapes and statues of saints and heroes, tainted glass mosaics of figures, told in a much fierce technique in perfection, the sheer beauty was almost un-natural. They all seemed like they were trying to tell an epic-a war or various wars perhaps.   
  
"So Son Gokuu, we know what you've done but we hardly know who you even are, so tell me-where are you from?" Datcyde asked while walking to the royal throne room of the temple.  
  
"Well it's a bit of a long story…" Gokuu was cut off again as music coming from the palace gardens echoed throughout the grandiose sized temple, and as soon as the reached the doors of the palace throne room, Datcyde turned to the Z-Senshi.  
  
"Remember Lady Rezaa-sama is here. She is the Queen of all Konatsu. She isn't particularly fond of strangers, but in your case, she'll most indeed make an exception."  
  
_"Lady Rezaa?" Kuririn thought to himself.  
  
Datcyde made passed the imperial gaurds and waved his hand and the opening of the doors soon followed. Gohan was somehow surprised, as he hypothesized that maybe these Konatsu use magic or retain telekinesis.  
  
Datcyde spoke as he kneeled before his omnipotence. "Your majesty, Lady Rezaa-sama, I am here with the one named Son Gokuu and his companions."_

Immediately, Gokuu and Gohan knelt down on one knee in unison. The rest followed suit.

"You may rise." The Queen said as they obeyed.  
  
Trunks stared at the Queen and thought to himself how beautiful she was. It struck him quite odd of the length of her hair. Various large braids extended all the way towards the marble floor and one giant heap of purple hair rising then drooping down so far that one would think her hair wasn't genuine at all. Her skin had a very light complexion: almost as if she had no pigment at all. Her pupils were an auburn hue as well as the distinctly Konatsu marks around the top of her forehead as well as those elfin ears which all Konatsu-jin bared. A large red crystal glistened against the sunlight coming through the tainted windows. The crystal also served a purpose of keeping her cape together. Small children picked the cape up and followed her as she rose from her throne and walked towards Gokuu.  
  
"Welcome to Konatsu, Son Gokuu," Lady Rezaa greeted with a distinctly Konatsu style of speech. She continued, "Your bestowed presence here brings honor to this holy temple of Njanai." Her voice cracked the shell of Konatsu instruments playing and her smile brought great comfort to all who dare glance at it.  
  
"Arigato! Like-wise!" Gokuu thanked. Lady Rezaa chuckled at Gokuu's almost innocent expression.  
  
"And these are your friends?"  
  
"Yes! This is Uubu-kun my pupil and this is Gohan and Goten, which both are my sons. And this is Kuririn and finally Trunks, Tapion's friend too."  
  
The Queen walked closer towards Gokuu and placed her soft as silk hand on Gokuu's cheek.  
  
"Konatsu is in debt to you. What would you like in return?"  
  
Gokuu paused and tried to gather his thoughts for a brief collective moment.   
  
"Too be honest, I really don't want anything-that of course it's alright with you…" Gohan gulped fearing what the Queen might say or do, that is.

"But there's more, isn't there?" The Queen smiled.

"Yes. In our world, more so in the afterlife, there is something disruptive happening. A force is slowly taking over the afterlife. We came along with Tapion, to see maybe we could stop it here before it could progress to the state it is in now in the afterlife." Gohan beamed with a serious tone.

"My goodness. I had no idea. Well, I shall do everything in my power to help you and your friends," The Queen paused for a moment, smiled and declared, "But in the meantime, we shall show my people of what a hero really is. We shall celebrate you're return to us."

And the meeting with the Queen of Konatsu had adjourned.    
  
***  
  
Silence, besides the cold, bleak emptiness that was of space, was about the only thing that was apparent when Terminus' ship had arrived into a timeline that he wasn't afraid to call his own. For a ship of its grandiose size, it sure moved quickly. It dwarfed any small planet it met as it pushed itself against the very fabric of space, like rippling water.  
  
The shape shifter smiled as his eyes met with earth, one of the only planets left in the wake of the saiya-jin. But of course, the saiya-jin in this timeline had been virtually wiped out from the face of the universe. The mentally navigated ship moved in closer and closer toward the earth and Terminus' anticipation grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment of time.   
  
As the shadows met with earth, it blocked the sun's ray's from ever reaching the southern side of the planet. The ship was far too large to just land on the planet, and so ship breached its movement and automatically cloaked itself from being detected. Terminus stroked his goatee once more before we would step on earth soil.  
  
The soldier of _death's touch was said to bring death almost immediate. If legend were correct, all life in the universe would cease to exist.  
  
***  
  
Piccolo's cape wavered silently with the slight hiss of the wind. His eyes were closed with a stern grimace. He considered himself to be one of the only warriors who even bothered to meditate. Whereas Gokuu or Vejiita would train beyond comprehension in one of those infernal gravity chambers, his meditation served him quite well. Sure he would split up into multiple Piccolos and start sparing with one another, but he always considered making his mind sharp as any finely sharpened serrated blade by simple clearing and focusing of the art.   
  
A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He couldn't help to think if something were to happen while everyone else was gone, those who stayed (including the earth) would be in dire jeopardy.   
  
His grasp had tightened more that purple blood dripped from his punctured wounds and onto the ground far below him, forming a small pool. Then, within seconds all he could see were lifeless corpses covering the landscape and all of them deemed a familiar essence. Piccolo had always retained a sixth sense about things but never this.   
  
His dark grimace grew with agitation revealing white fangs. The namek finally opened his eyes with the expression of sweaty, cold terror. He felt nothing inside his empty being, as if his soul had been brutally torn from within. Piccolo placed both hands on each side of his head with a painful grasp and scram with cold rage as his power increased drastically. A sudden urge of ki shot from Piccolo's palm rearranging the landscape with a few less hills in the process.  
  
Absolutely nothing could have prepared him on what he would feel next. During his time on earth, he felt extreme levels of ki beyond comprehension. But the Namek had never sensed a ki like this. It wasn't at all just the power itself that caused the Namek to be left cold with terror; it was the feeling of absolute omni-presence.  
  
"What is this…?" Piccolo asked himself. This inevitable feeling of doom was alien to him as it made his heart heavy with sorrow. Sure, he felt weary when the likes of Cell pulling out a kamehameha or a instantaneous movement right under their nose or Buu turning random people into various candy but this was very unlike him to sense a feeling--so concentrated with--fear.  
  
He turned his head upwards toward the heavens and clenched his teeth with rage, growling. The Namek could feel his heart race rapidly like moving lightning. He then began to notice a shadow blanketing the landscape. In a matter of seconds, the light of day had quickly shifted to the darkness of night. Like a solar eclipse, obscuring every ray, which the sun shot, but only this time it was far too longer.  
  
__"Trrrhhh…whatever it is, its nothing like anything I previously felt…" Piccolo thought. His eyes grew narrow filled with both astonishment and the realization of something or someone possessed an infinite supply of power.  
  
Piccolo levitated higher amongst the cumulous clouds and flew towards whatever that was obstructing any light from coming through. For all the Namek could see was the blackness of space from above the atmosphere. Piccolo looked down at the earth below him and morosely sighed. Whatever he was sensing, the rest of the Z-Senshi did not have the opportunity to do so.   
  
The Namek warrior flew down below searching for that ominous feeling stabbing away at his hollow being.  
  
***  
  
The sound of cheering and celebration pierced Gokuu's and everyone else's ears as they paced behind Lady Rezaa. The two standing imperial guards opened various long, tall veils, which revealed an ocean of cheering figures.  
  
"Now remember Son Gokuu, they are here to see you, the one who defeated Hildegarn. It seems as though you are not the only 'Legend of the Brave', according to the people." The queen eyed Tapion as they stepped outside on the huge terrace.  
  
"Wave!" The Queen declared. And so Gokuu did. He stepped towards the ledge and saw thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people waiting to catch the glimpse of the savior they called Gokuu.  
  
Tapion then joined Gokuu as they both waved in unison towards the mass sea of crowd as the two Legends of the Brave. Gokuu laughed and waved as enthusiastically as possible. After a few minutes of waving the Queen stepped forward between the two and raised her hand. The crowed became louder and louder as the Queen smiled. She then lowered her hand and the crowed became quieter and quieter with each inch her hand went down until there was utter silence. The Queen paused and declared something in Konatsu-ese, which made absolutely no sense to any of the Z-Senshi.   
  
"Pssst…what's she saying?" Goten asked Datcyde.  
  
"She simply is stating that it is an honor to have Son Gokuu, savior of Konatsu here." Datcyde immediately shifted back his attention to the queen's speech.  
  
"There are so many people here. I wonder how large this planet really is." Trunks thought out loud.  
  
"Who cares, all I know is that my stomach is aching for some nourishment." Goten whispered back.  
  
"Hey look…" Trunks pointed out.  
  
"What? What's she doing?" Goten asked. Gokuu had kneeled down with one leg up and the other down facing Lady Rezaa.  
  
"The coronation has begun," Datcyde answered before Trunks could. They both answered back with an "Oh."  
  
Two other figures walked towards Gokuu. They both seemed to be part of some religious clergy as one of them must have been a bishop or spiritual leader of some sort. The bishop (who which was Kalgan) mumbled something in Konatsuese and apparently must have said a blessing as he wiped some strange liquid on Gokuu's face-some weird religious custom that was, thought Gohan.  
  
"Rise." The Queen declared.   
  
"People of Konatsu-your new protector, Son Gokuu!"  
  
The mob went of like a rocket with a deafening of millions of voices all cheering for one man.  
  
The Queen shifted her attention to the figure with oddly shaped hair and began to talk with the most of serene tones, "So Son Gokuu, have you ever thought of joining my kingdom?" The Queen, out of nowhere asked while clinging on to Gokuu's arm.   
  
"I'm not really sure about joining your kingdom…I can't really think on an empty stomach you know. Boy I'm starved! Do you have anything to eat?" Gokuu asked.  
  
"Of, course. Come."   
  
The celebration had officially begun.  
  
***  
  
The sky had gone an unusual mute golden hue, a color far too uncommon on earth, Kuririn noted. After the parade dedicated to Gokuu had ended, they entered the ghastly large dinning room and sat down to eat. Kuririn wasn't all for eating or partying. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the thought of his wife and family. After all, his wife had just given birth to a second daughter and keeping up with just one infant let alone two had left him all but weary. Although Marron wasn't much of a chore as was Mayone' (Kuririn didn't really like to consider his own daughter as such a term). He looked on as Gokuu and the others had scarfed themselves silly with such an abundance of food, it was hard to believe they were going to eat it all. But then again, his companions on this journey were mostly compromised of saiya-jin. Kami, he sure did miss Juuhachi-gou and his family.  
  
"Hey Kuririn, why aren't you eating?" asked Gokuu with food stuffed in his mouth like a chipmunk.   
  
"Eh, I'm not really up to eating Gokuu…" Kuririn trailed off while staring down at his plate with Kami knows what was on it.  
  
"You know, since were the guests of honor, you might want to reconsider since its THEIR food were eating," Gohan emphasized.   
  
"Are you finished with that?" Gokuu asked while chewing on some nameless, alien meat.  
  
"Yeah go ahead, eat some…" Kuririn replied in a very solemn tone.  
  
"So Son Gokuu, where did you say you came from? We never finished our conversation." Datcyde interrupted.  
  
"Yes tell us. Your adventures, your experiences." The magistrate of Konatsu suggested.  
  
Gokuu raised his head from stuffing his face with Konatsu food. "Um…" Gokuu swallowed and continued, "Well you see I'm not really from planet earth."  
  
"Really?" Datcyde asked pretending to be interested while raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah…I come from a planet called Vegetasei. I was born as Kakarotto and was sent to earth as an infant…"  
  
"Why?" Datcyde asked. Damn, this guy had an annoying habit of suddenly interrupting people.  
  
"…I was sent to earth to kill its inhabitants. Clear all life so that the *munch* saiya-jin could sell the dead planet to the highest bidder." Gokuu's tone suddenly changed to a lot more dryly than usual.   
  
A rather uncomfortable silence swept the dinning hall. The former savior they saw had suddenly turned into a mad, bloodthirsty warrior--at least in Datcyde's eyes. The Queen had managed to find an imperturbable expression as Tapion and Minoshia were taken suddenly aback. Datcyde had a look of no surprise at all.   
  
"Saiya-jin? Is that your race, Son Gokuu?" The Queen asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah…but unfortunately they were wiped out by Freeza." Datcyde then became genuinely interested as he sat on the edge of his chair.   
  
"Freeza…that name…it sounds strangely familiar…" Datcyde contemplated.  
  
"The changelings." The sovereign ruler muttered. Gokuu and Gohan looked rather surprised.  
  
"You know about them…about Freeza? But how is that possible? When comparing your time to our time, its almost a millennia." Gohan debated with a puzzled expression.  
  
"They once tried to conquer our world and almost did…but they were somehow defeated by X'lembar, a much-revered hero to the point of legend-like you Son Gokuu. Are they more advanced in your time?" Datcyde asked.  
  
"Yeah…" Gohan replied, still looking a little puzzled, "but the only ones we fought against were Freeza, Coola and their father, King Cold-well maybe not really King Cold…but how could they travel to your planet? Does space technology exist already?"  
  
"Space technology? To an extent, yes…although the use of magic is used in the ships, but we rarely use them. Only in emergences." Datcyde raised an eyebrow again.  
  
"Interesting…I gather you and your father have fought valiantly against many enemies, is that correct?" The Queen asked.  
  
"Yeah! But how did you know?"  
  
"It seems to me that fighting makes you stronger and you certainly seem like the type who has enough power to destroy an entire planet." The Queen pointed out.   
  
Gohan and Gokuu were very surprised by the Queen's hypothesis of them and the rest of their merry little band as to be accurate-quite accurate as it was frightening.  
  
Tapion remand silent throughout the whole conversation and dared not to interrupt the queen. He looked at Minoshia who looked EXTREMELY bored and whispered, "After this, do you want to spar? And maybe we can teach Trunks a thing or two."  
  
"Hai…" Minoshia whispered back with a smile.  
  
"So why didn't you carry out your mission?" The queen asked.  
  
"Well you see I hit my head when I was still an infant and it changed me somehow that I didn't remember my mission. An old man named Gohan found me still in my space pod and adopted me and raised me like his own blood. Then that's when he died and I had to defend for myself all those years-later I meet a girl named Bulma and…" Indeed Gokuu was definitely on a roll on telling his life story.   
  
"Then we competed in the Tenkaichi Budoukai…"  
  
"Then we tried to find the dragon balls…"  
  
"…Fought long and hard against the Red Ribbon army…"  
  
"…The demon king Daimaou. I had to fight him and his son Piccolo…"  
  
"…Vejiita then had turned Oozaru. Boy were we in trouble…"  
  
"…I had made it just in time to help my friends on Namek…"  
  
"…It was then I contracted a heart disease…it wasn't before long Gohan transformed and long last defeated Cell…"  
  
"…Majin Buu had completely destroyed the earth…"  
  
It was pretty hard to get Gokuu from detouring from his own personal account. The Queen seemed to hang on every word Gokuu found himself saying.  
  
"Well that's about it…would you like to know anything else?"  
  
"Are you interested in fighting competitions?" The Queen asked, already expecting a certain reply.  
  
"Yeah! I'd love to join one!"   
  
"Tomorrow we will have the games held at the royal coliseum. Your friends are all welcome to join but I doubt many of Konatsu's warriors will be much of a challenge to you, Son Gokuu."   
  
"I'd be honored!"  
  
"Then it's settled. When the twin gods arise, everyone shall follow."  
  
Goten then let out a belch, which caught each attendee's undivided attention. His face had become ripe as a tomato as Trunks held his laughter tight lid.  
  
"Excuse me…I think I'll go now…"  
  
***  
  
_

The honorary dinner had ended and Tapion invited Trunks to come along with him to the fighting grounds. The twin suns were barely visible and the night air had already set in with a heavy dampness, but that didn't stop them from catching up on old times as they walked through the palace grounds.  
  
"Wow its hard to believe I'm actually here on your home planet, brother." Tapion did not answer and kept silent.  
  
"What's wrong?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Oh its nothing…"  
  
"Was it Gokuu the one making you sick from his rapid eating parade?"  
  
"Oh! Ha, ha…no, it's not that. I have be---"  
  
"Tapion! Where do you think your going?" Datcyde spontaneously asked.  
  
"Datcyde. We were just going to the fighting grounds."  
  
"At this hour? You seem to be forgetting the gladiator games are tomorrow and besides the Queen wants to see you right away."  
  
Tapion let out a sigh and responded, "Alright then. Trunks---goodnight. I will see you at daylight."  
  
"Uh, see ya big brother." Trunks replied.  
  
After Tapion followed Datcyde inside the palace, there was an eerie calmness in the air and Trunks shuttered with a slight chill. Goten then appeared out of nowhere, "Hey…psst, Trunks. What happened?"  
  
"The Queen wanted to see him."  
  
"Oh. Hey why don't you talk to Minoshia?"  
  
"What for…?"  
  
"Look, he's right up there!" Goten pointed out. Minoshia was perched on the edge of the large balcony and apparently was staring in an almost hypnotized fashion toward the stars.  
  
"Wha…?"  
  
"C'mon…just go!" Goten tried pushing Trunks toward the fortress like palace and said again, "Just go!"  
  
"Ok fine. It's not like I'm shy or anything. I need my space, you know?"  
  
Goten rolled his eyes. "Just get your ass up there! What are you so worried about?"  
  
"Hey screw you!" Trunks flipped Goten a birdie and walked towards the upper levels of the palace.  
  
***  
  
Gohan lay back on his bedpost and began reading a rather large book of ancient runes amongst hundreds of scrolls. He scratched his head for a few minutes trying to figure out what all of these symbols meant-after all they were in Konatsuese. But Gohan felt it was a challenge to try to make sense of a language long dead in his time. When translating these symbols or figures, he discovered, translated into a language somewhat similar to Latin.  
  
Gohan got up from the bed and reached over to find a palm communicator. He pressed a button and called, "Hey, anyone there? Bulma, Videl, Dr. Briefs? Hello…"  
  
A dog like voice came from the other side of the communicator. Gohan raised an eyebrow and spoke, "Bee? What are you doing there?"  
  
"Ruff!"  
  
"Hey Bee, get Bulma! Go on!" Bee barked a couple more times and disappeared from the small, hand sized screen.   
  
"Bee? Bee…hello…" Gohan sighed and waited for a few moments and tapped his finger more than enough times.  
  
"Gohan…? Are you there?" called a distant voice.  
  
"Yeah but I can't see you…there's a lot of interference. I can't see anything…" repeated Gohan.  
  
"Go…me…Bulm…" Gohan sighed again. He took the communicator and checked its transmitter.  
  
"Well we are in a different past era on another planet…" Gohan reasoned to himself.  
  
"Gohan, Gohan…are you there?" Then Bulma's face made its first appearance on the communicator.  
  
"Bulma! What's going on?" A small wave a static distorted Bulma's face to a point of extreme obscurity.  
  
"Gohan, it's so different without you guys. How's everyone on Konatsu?"  
  
"Oh were fine. It turns out dad is much of a celebrated figure around these parts. They even gave him a parade and coronation."  
  
"Wow, must be real entertaining there. What's Konatsu like? Oh and what's happening there in the afterlife?"  
  
"I'm not sure what's going on quite actually with the afterlife. I'm not even sure this dimension has the same afterlife laws that we do…As for Konatsu, it almost seems like were on earth still. The gravity here seems normal although the air pressure is a little heavier. Just make the sky blue and there you have it-earth. I still haven't seen any animal life native to this planet, except for maybe some aerial type creatures flying around," Gohan yawned and continued, "I've also had the leisure to discover about Konatsu literature. When you translate their symbols into a language that uses letters used on earth, it literally translates into something close to Latin. It's so similar yet so different, it's hard to explain. The symbols or whatever their called here seem to tell a story or maybe even a prophecy. Some of the wording seems so alien and different yet so frighteningly familiar, and they even seem to have their own version of a soliloquy. Interesting stuff-But what's even more strange is that when we first landed on Konatsu, we were greeted exactly the place we were going to be. There's no way they could have predicted that…"  
  
Bulma looking like she hadn't slept for ages spoke, "I've also made a few discoveries on my own…"  
  
"Like what?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Well the seismograph is getting weird on me…"  
  
"Seismograph?"  
  
"It went off the charts! I don't get it either. There's no visible sign of an earthquake yet it broke just a few minutes ago due to the over heating." Then Bulma unexpectedly began to chuckle.   
  
"What's so funny? I'm really trying to see what's so humorous…"  
  
"I never would've expected you to become a brain but I guess you proved me wrong, Gohan."  
  
"Well that's what happens when your childhood consists of either (a) Being forced to study with every waking moment by your mother when your not training or fighting any bad guy or (b) Never actually watching any television as a child." Bulma chuckled a bit and sneezed.  
  
"I think I'm coming down with a cold. *Sniff* Plus Vegeta's been acting rather strange lately." Bulma changing the subject.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well whenever he trains in the gravity room, the only thing I hear is constant powering up."  
  
"Well that's what you do to get stronger, fighting wise…"  
  
"No I mean, he never stops. He's been doing this ever since you guys left." Another wave of static interrupted Bulma.  
  
"Well maybe he's trying to see how strong he really is." Gohan suggested.  
  
"I think he would know by now how strong he really is. Oh and by the way, how's Trunks?"  
  
"He's fine. I think he's with Tapion from the last time I saw him."  
  
"Oh that's g-" It was amazing how a signal had managed to cross from one time period to another, even WITH all the static. But apparently, that signal was no more.   
  
"Bulma…Bulma! Hello, hello?" Gohan sighed once more. He turned off the communicator and resumed his Konatsu reading and then slept like the dead.  
  
***  
  
Trunks walked along the palace grounds kicking about a stray piece of broken marble of the floor and sighed.   
  
Here he was, on another planet, in another galaxy, in another dimension, one thousand years in the past and yet he still managed to sigh with a hint of uneasiness and boredom. In his mind, he rehearsed things to say to Minoshia as he walked. It was all Goten's idea. He wasn't really in the mood to socialize with people he hardly knew. But yet that nagging voice in his head kept him from doing anything else until something caught his attention.   
  
There-from the corner of his eye, he glanced towards some moving figures, riding upon some bizarre mammal type beasts. They waited briefly to enter the palace grounds as the gate rose. As soon as Trunks blinked they were gone.  
  
"That's Domu." Trunks quickly turned his head to see Minoshia, eye to eye.  
  
"Who…?" Minoshia walked closer with a stern grimace and spoke, "Domu is the Queen's brother."  
  
"The Queen has a brother?"  
  
"Hai…strange…"  
  
"Strange? What's so strange?"  
  
"He's back early from his raids from the badlands."  
  
"Why are there raids?"  
  
Minoshia breathed in and spoke, "He believes that the inhabitants there somehow threaten the Konatsu Empire. He has been gone for almost a year…and now he's finally returned."  
  
Trunks scratched his head and replied, "Does the Queen know about this?"  
  
"…Yes."  
  
An uncomfortable silence swept both as the twin moon's light touched upon their figures. A small beetle like insect, spouting ridiculously large silky wings gently landed on the ledge besides Trunks. Barely similar to a firefly, greens, reds, blues and magentas shown brilliantly from its rear as Trunks stared with an empty yet amazed expression. A few moments went by with much socialization--to break that silence, Trunks attempted to murmur something but hesitated. Trunks felt like he was tongue-tied.  
  
"Wha…What ever happened to the black magicians?"  
  
"When Tapion came back, he drove out the magicians with the help of Domu and the others. A battle ensued between the rival forces, but was quickly ended, with many of the black magicians being killed as well as their ancient relics. Very few escaped."   
  
Minoshia walked towards the ledge of the balcony and surveyed the various brightly colored lights emanating from the city and spoke, "After Hildegarn laid to waste most of the cities, the Queen ordered that the cities be rebuilt into anew,"  
  
"And that's when Bulma and the others wished that everyone who were killed by Hildegarn and Hoi to be wished back to life with the dragon balls." Trunks added.  
  
Trunks then decided to sit on the edge of the large terrace and glanced down towards the moat below, staring at the reflections of darkened sky above.  
  
"Thank you." Minoshia smiled peacefully.  
  
"…For what?" Trunks blinked.  
  
"For saving my kingdom and me and my brother."  
  
"But I didn't really kill Hildegarn. Son-kun was the one…"  
  
"I think you had something to do with the vanquishing of the demon. After all you're power even goes beyond any Konatsu warrior."  
  
Minoshia had no idea.  
  
"Is it true when Son Gokuu-sama's hair turns gold, his power rises?"  
  
"Well-yeah. All saiya-jin who train hard enough can do it. You have to have at least partial saiya-jin blood as well as a pure heart to go super saiya-jin."  
  
"Can you become super saiya-jin?" timidly asked Minoshia.  
  
"Yup. I happen to be the son of the prince of the saiya-jin, you know." Trunks declared in an almost boastful tone of voice. He couldn't believe he said that.  
  
"Can you show me?"  
  
"…I'm not too sure it's appropriate to do so…even at this hour. I really don't want to cause a false alarm."  
  
"Please?" Minoshia asked again.  
  
With some hesitance, Trunks gracefully flipped and landed gently on the floor of the terrace and assumed an intimidating fighting stance to maybe even somehow impress the Konatsu youth. Trunks ki immediately transcended beyond any expectation. His eyes became a temperate green as his hair and brilliant aura changed radically into a bright golden spectacle of sheer power.  
  
"There." Trunks grinned thinly, frowning with pride. Minoshia's pupils suddenly became larger as he watched the young super saiya-jin with both excitement and uncertainty fluttering in his chest like a trapped bird.  
  
"Wow! That's incredible!" The Konatsu youth gasped. He could feel Trunks' power radiate the surrounding area with his aura alone.   
  
Trunks smiled. "I bet you could become as powerful."  
  
"Really? That's incredible!" Minoshia gasped. It was then Minoshia gained an expression of determination. He looked as if he could take on the entire universe.  
  
"But when I do, do you promise to fight with me, one on one?"  
  
Trunks was slightly taken aback by Minoshia's odd request. He sounded like a saiya-jin, eagerly anticipating the moment when he faces an opponent far greater than his/her destiny.  
  
"All right then, when the time is right, we'll fight to see who is the strongest." Trunks answered with affirmation in his voice. He soon reverted back to his normal state and shook hands with a mirror self elfin version of himself.  
  
In unison, they both declared, "Yes!"  
  


***  
  
The ship landed in a medley of noises. There was the far off hiss of the atmosphere cutting and sliding past the alien metal of the ship. There was the steady drone of the conditioners fighting the heat of friction, and the slower rumble of the engines enforcing declaration. The birds bickering had disappeared along with them, when they had all flew away from the ship's landing disposition. Moments before it had landed, the landing ship had departed from its mother ship and fell towards the earth at a fantastic rate and once it had reached the atmosphere of the planet it speed up extremely fast. At the last second, right when it would supposedly crash, it had stopped in mid-air and then descended softly toward the ground.  
  
The sunlight deflected off of the metal of the vessel; blinding anyone whose eyes would set upon it.  
  
The main hatch quickly opened without reason. _/Destination has been reached/ It said from within /Environment has been stabilized/  
  
A figure detached itself from anonymity and stopped from the drafty hatch as vapor flew out from within. The figure in a glaring black armor checked the conditions of this particular planet. In an instant, the ship's engines had suspended into submission and automatically cloaked itself. The figure pressed a small button attached to his left temple and quickly; it converted into a horizon scanner like device.  
  
It measured the density of the surface's gravity. The air seemed a little thinner here, the gravity a bit less great, than the previous planets he had visited, he noted.  
  
Terminus walked toward the ledge of the hilly plateau and surveyed the landscape.  
  
"/Civilization here seems to be more apparent then what I had expected. /"  
  
He levitated mid air to see the boisterous city below and sensed out all of the inhabitants.   
  
"/Jinta…/" He muttered.  
  
Before he could mutter or think any other random thought, a wave of blinding light had suffused over his body, so no one could sense him, in the least. He flew across the clear, cloudless sky, toward the vast city below.   
  
A dark streak emitted from the soldier of __death, casting a terrible shroud of doubt over the future.   
  
* * *_


	5. Konatsu, The Awakening

Chapter V: Konatsu, The Awakening 

_An unknown challenger arrives!! Everyone fight!!_

Gohan woke up the next morning feeling like he had drunk a full tank's worth of rum. What in the hell was there in those Konatsu drinks anyway? He rose from his bed, trying to blink out the drowsiness and finally opened his eyes to see a bizarrely designed bedroom filled with all sorts of tapestries. 

Sharp pains brought Gohan to unconsciously place his hand on his stomach. His head started to feel swimmy. He REALLY didn't like Konatsu cuisine and drink. Gohan's stomach growled loudly and he finally realized that the food here didn't like him much either. Soon, Gohan quickly got out of bed, hoping he wouldn't throw up but alas it didn't stop him from blowing any chunks as he quickly did on the tainted marble-like floor. 

What he wouldn't do for some of Chi-Chi's or Videl's cooking. Kami, he really missed Videl and Pan.

"Sheesh, and all this time Videl wanted to go with me…" Gohan, with a mother of hangovers, vomited some more. 

Ah the joy's of Konatsu food.

***

Droplets of water began to drop as quickly as ripples began to form over the surface of the fountain where Datcyde's face stared, gravely. From there he wiped his face and walked over towards the halls of the highest level of the palace. Passing by what it seemed an endless display of mosaics; he caught sight of Gokuu and Uubu walking towards his direction.

"Datcyde!" Gokuu called.

"Yes. Good morning Son Gokuu. Did you sleep well? You will need your rest in order to participate in the warrior games."

"You don't have to worry about me, I slept like a rock. What about you? I don't think you slept very well…"

Datcyde chose not to answer. Instead he shifted his attention to the smaller, swarthy figure standing besides Gokuu.

"I never got a chance to meet your friend."

"It's Uubu." The African boy muttered.

"Uubu? Sounds like something you would name a pet, not to bring any insult on your part my friend." Datcyde smiled dryly.

Uubu frowned a bit as Gokuu blinked yet again.

"And what is he? Human?"

"Um, long story. He's reincarnated." Spoke Gokuu.

"I see," Datcyde, continued, "Well then, I think you have matches to face, warriors to expend," Datcyde beamed a sarcastic smirk as he spoke, "Your companions will be meeting you shortly for Din-ry-op-sokk."

"The what?" Gokuu asked.

"Breakfast." Datcyde plainly put it. He then walked off toward his hall of study and shut the grandiose sized door with his 'magic' with the loudest of bangs.

Gokuu shrugged towards Uubu and they both had left.

***

After the morning banquet had ended, Gokuu and the others had left to their appointed ride. But no one could have predicted that their ride was a fifty-foot tall, almost dragon yet mammal like beast, with teeth larger than most soldiers' swords. The way it moved, it was almost as if it was an over grown snake yet it deemed the features mammals would normally have with its almost velvety, barely noticeable coat of fur. It's back was clearly arched up with a hollow hole right on top of it. It made the most bizarre of noises, especially coming from its abdomen.

_"I know how you feel…" Gohan thought to himself._

"What is that thing?" Kuririn looked almost frightened by the large beast. Gohan wasn't very intimidated by the creature as he encountered dozens of beasts twice his size when he was a child living out in the wilderness.

"I dunno. By the looks of it, it looks more like a dragon. Who knows…" Trunks nonchalantly looked up with his hand seamlessly blocking the twin sun's ultra-violet rays. Trunks stared into the beast's white-eye facing him: void of any pigment or pupil.

"This is a Drijiconius. They're quite friendly…when they're feed properly. They're also good for fighting and racing. They can get quite fierce. Plus they move very rapidly." Tapion greeted as he patted the large creature's jaw.

"I bet…" Goten muttered.

The Queen arrived. Baring all sorts of beautiful garments with small jewelry hung from her forehead. And accompanying her was Kalgan. 

"My Queen," Tapion bowed. Just as the others were about to do the same, the Queen spoke, "Tapion, there's no need to bow. Please rise."

"Ah, Son Gokuu. How are you?" Kalgan asked dryly.

"I'm doing fine. Boy was that banquet appetizing!" said Gokuu.

"You could have eaten an entire armies worth of food. You're healthy. You're strong. May Njanai be with you throughout your life." Kalgan smiled and spoke with his aged voice with sincerity.

"Um, thanks! Same to you." 

"So Son Gokuu, are you prepared to face off in the games? I will be expecting a good show." The Queen smiled almost flirtatiously. Gokuu smiled sheepishly back and let out an "Ok".

"Datcyde hasn't arrived yet. Where is that white haired warrior?" The Queen asked.

"Why I'm here my Queen. Did you think I would neglect to see the legendary fighter in action?" Datcyde greeted.

"There you are. Come. The entire city of Konpu is awaiting our arrival, but most importantly yours, Son Gokuu."

And so Datcyde, Tapion and anyone else who was Konat climbed on top of the beast with their magic by levitating. The Queen had gone first and she hadn't asked for any help but Son Gokuu assisted her nonetheless. 

Another Drijiconius was waiting for the Z-Senshi. They levitated by their own means. They all found themselves inside a well-ventilated, sizeable, silver cocoon like shelter resting atop of the creature.

"This-um dragon sort of reminds me of Shenron. Minus the green scales and all…" Kuririn reasoned.

"Hey where's dad going?" Goten asked as he peered out of the cocoon.

"Seems like he decided to go with the Queen." Trunks replied.

"Hey dad see you there!" Goten shouted.

"Likewise!" Gokuu shouted back.

"Your son is much like you. Who is his mother?" The Queen asked.

"Chi-Chi. She says that Goten looks a lot like me, and she's right. The older one, Gohan, is my eldest. She's been always after Gohan for his studies. Chi-Chi isn't really that protective of Goten. Goten reached super saiya-jin when he was just a child."

"I'd imagine their strength and power comes from their father's side." Lady Rezaa smiled.

Gokuu chuckled as he placed his hand behind his head.

Datcyde subtly rolled his eyes and looked out of moving cocoon.

And so the mighty beasts began to move on their own as if he exactly knew where they were heading. Amazingly, they managed to move along at a quick yet steady pace, passing through various unusually constructed villages, buildings and market places. The city of Konpu seemed like it covered the entire planet as it stretched beyond where the twin suns crested: when in fact it was just the opposite. The city was teaming with life. Activity. At each turn there was something going on. What really made the largest impression on the visitors was the music. It was beautiful. Each note carried some sort of emotion to the listener. Not overly melodramatic yet not apathetic in the least. Just _perfect._

Gohan for a moment lost himself in the deep abyss of melodic harmony.

"Gohan…Gohan, GOHAN!"

"What?" Gohan briefly frowned at whoever was calling him. He continued, "What do you want Goten?"

"You seemed like you were just dosing off. Were going to be at the coliseum any minute." Well at least most people were enjoying the music.

"Relax. The city is to damn big to arrive there so fast. Might as well lay back and chill. You're the one who's always laidback." Trunks suggested as he placed his head behind his arms. 

"You're the one who always laidback…" Goten purposely-intimidated Trunks in a nasal tone of voice.

"Hey quit making fun, chummmm…p."

Goten frowned and had the biggest urge to pound his head.

"Hey you two. Knock it off. Look." Gohan pointed at Uubu who had already gone to sleep.

"Boy is he lucky." Said Trunks. Then a figure inside the other cocoon on the beast caught Trunks attention. Minoshia grinned at Trunks and gave him a thumbs up. Trunks did the same. 

"Hey what happened with Minoshia?" Goten asked.

"He wants to spar with me for some reason. I dunno." Trunks nonchalantly shrugged.

Then the ride stopped with a dull thump sound from the Drijiconius' pounding feet as it made a menacing grunt.

"Were here already?" Trunks asked a bit perplexed.

"Ha, ha. Look who's stupid now." Goten chuckled. Trunks decided to give, again, the birdie towards Goten. Goten did the same.

"You know the Queen is staring at you both. You do know that, right?" Gohan pointed out.

They both froze in turned slowly. "Is she looking at us?" Trunks whispered. "Yeah. Think so."

The Queen chuckled a bit. Moments later the passengers left the two beasts to meet at their destination.

"Whoa." Goten muttered in awe. The coliseum was indeed grandiose in size. The first thing that came to Gokuu and the other's minds was the Tenkaichi Budoukai they had fought in oh so many years ago when that fateful day the had eventually faced off against Babidi, Darbura, and most of all Buu.

"This is what makes capital city so imperative amongst our people." Datcyde smiled as he stared with satisfaction upon the coliseum's incredible design. 

Soon, they entered the large structure and saw multiple warriors and gladiators battling each other in multitudes of melees. Blood was the evident color of the ground of the coliseum and soon the one they called "Legend of the Brave" would find himself in such a place: Gokuu.

***

Ever since the reconstruction of South City, the inhabitants there had always had an unwary sense of dread. The androids were an infamous reminder of the evil that had once made itself home on earth. A plaque of all those who had died on that fateful day on May 16th all those years ago, stood in place in the middle of the town square. 

Today was like any other day. Hundreds of people busily walking about to their homes, work, or wherever they decided to go. Hovering cars here and there. All of these activities seemed to be going on amidst one-minute girl. She walked along the city sidewalk kicking an empty coke bottle and humming some bizarre tune. That's when she sensed something. She hid behind a staircase, connected to an entrance of an apartment complex. 

Her heart began to pound with fear. She knew someone was after her. She couldn't see that someone but she knew he was nearby and the only thing in her mind that kept repeating was the word: run.

And so she did. Moments later, unexpectedly, she had ran into a slightly over-weight police officer on duty.

"Whoa, hold on there." He said as he bent down to the girl's level. "Shouldn't you be with your parents? Are you lost?"

The girl said nothing and tried to budge from his grip. The officer looked into the girl's reddish pupils and swallowed. "Are…are you in any kind of trouble?" The girl suddenly smiled almost diabolically and grabbed onto his neck.

"Here, we'll find you're parents. Say, what's your name?"

"Jinta." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" The officer asked as he scratched the back of his head.

And there was indeed someone coming from the urban landscape. She could see the figure, clear as day. 

It was the soldier of _death. _

She grappled harder onto his uniform and said, "Please hurry. I need to go…to the bathroom." The police officer smiled lightly and replied "No problem little lady. Here, I'll drive you to the nearest rest stop and we'll find you're parents from there."

The girl quickly went inside the police car and shut the door hard.

"I guess she really has to go." The officer said to himself.

The officer went inside the police vehicle and hovered off with the girl inside.

Terminus had been walking along the streets of South City for little over five minutes and he was already bored of this planet. His scanner picked up traces of ki, here and there, but none that belonged to his quarry. 

Cars curved off of the road to avoid any accidents with the moving figure. One of them yelled, "Hey are you crazy??" Another, "Get outta the road!" Another, "What the hell do think your doing?" and so on. A large fuel, tanker truck was heading straight towards Terminus with horns blasting as loudly as possible. He extended his arm and without fair warning the truck stopped at a standstill in is tracks. Time then began to stand still. Everything was absolutely silent and obsolete.

The soldier of _death, walked slowly, watched and waited patiently. Ki or no ki, she was close at hand. He could almost hear her gentle breath, if she was anything else besides her original self. _

He spoke with his mind, _"/I know you can hear this Jinta. Busily hiding among an under-developed planet will not help you my child. /"_

Receiving no response, he swiftly flew up from the black, cracked pavement of the street and stopped in midair and surveyed the cityscape. Not even wind could find its way through absolute suspended area. His eyes locked onto the any movement below.

_"/Hiding is futile. You've done very that all these centuries. It is time you meet with ascension into destiny. /" He spoke through his very mind with a long dead dialect. Patience was an asset of any Kanjiekajin and he was running out of it._

Jinta moved towards the side window of the vehicle and smiled. Everything she saw was still in resolute. As if everything she saw was a product of a motion picture and someone had the sheer audacity to pause it. She inhaled heavily and opened the side door and raised her head towards the levitated figure.

"/Ah, there you are. /" The soldier of _death muttered. He dropped from mid-air almost gracefully and he met with the ground with relative ease._

"/Jinta. Come. We have been separated far too long for even our realm to crumble and decay. /"

Jinta felt her eye wince for a split second and tightened the lining of her jaw. Her small hands clenched together in two fists, anticipating anything the soldier of _death would likely throw at her: in turn, a large ki shield formed around her._

"/Warnings are as futile as any sun's rays are reachable to any ice planet, in your case, my dear. Do not waste your time resisting. /"

The small, white haired girl sneered with a glint of coldness, "Heh."

Terminus walked closer until he was only a few feet away from the girl. "/Enough games. /" He said and decided to cut a swath across Jinta's ki shield like a battle-forged blade through soft flesh.

Then without warning, a brilliant light encircled around herself as sheer power had made its declaration of war. And then she was gone.

Terminus immediately looked up at one of the tall skyscrapers and saw her standing on a pole. The soldier of _death meet with Jinta's deadpan face and smiled. He then grabbed her neck and squeezed with no effort. Still, her face remained expressionless._

"/Why do you hunt me, still? Your efforts to amalgamate are fruitless. /"

Terminus chuckled slightly.

***

A petal had fallen with near elegance upon the soil of the coliseum, soon to be followed by many more, being thrown from the audience. In unison, the crowd hollered and cheered for the blood stained warriors. Most of the participants of the event originated from other parts of Konatsu. In fact, none of them seemed to be Konat, as no Konat bore such traits as horns or scales or large demonic wings and such. One of the warriors deemed long, white hair, draped in black bandages and with the starkest of glares. His eyes lacked any light, for that matter, it was black as night. His almost angelic wings were spread like a hawk, right before it would take flight. He slashed away at his adversaries in battle as if they were nothing. 

Uubu witnessed all of this. The way he moved seemed almost unnatural yet oddly familiar. Gokuu had told him once he was someone else. A, someone, who was malevolent enough to destroy countless worlds, including earth. All of these thoughts came to a halt as he stared at his sensei entering the arena. The horns blasted, the crowed cheered, and Gokuu had walked well into the grounds of the arena. He waved briefly as a voice came from the lower parts of the mountains of rows.

The noise from the crowd had all died down as Datcyde stood steadfast and spoke, "We are all gathered here today, to witness the savior of all to come and display his awesome power, the same power that had vanquished the cursed demon Hildegarn and we are in great debt to his servitude. He has come to us from many light years away with his comrades. He shall forever be known as the Legend of the Brave, Son Gokuu. Njanai is all."

The crowd cheered loudly as possible as Goten was struggling to yell over the noise, "Who's dad going to face?"

"I dunno. Some warriors I suppose." Trunks replied, raising the volume of this voice in the process. 

"Is it true that your planet has warrior games too, brother?" Minoshia asked. 

"Sure. They're called Tenkaichi Budoukai. Every year they have them on earth. They're a bit different then the ones you have here. Only two opponents face each other during a match and there is no killing or the use of weapons or outside help allowed in the tournament. In the end we all face off against some weakling called Mr. Satan, although the rest of the people seem to disagree. And if the person wins, he gets ten million zeni," 

From the corner of Trunks eye came a tall figure. He felt the person's ki and frowned.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked, speaking loudly in his ear.

"Its nothing…" Trunks sighed and continued, "that ki…can you feel it?"

"Yeah, so?" Goten scratched his head.

"Well, its seems a bit odd. It's the same ki I felt last night. But I can't really tell."

A loud, low-pitched yet serene tone of voice came from behind and captured Trunks attention. The voice called, "Datcyde. Nice speech."

Indeed, the voice came from a tall, broad Konat. Like Datcyde, the Konat deemed long, yet wavy white yet almost silver hair, with a few large braids towards the front. His skin was almost as swarthy as Uubu's as his light aqua blue eyes provided a sharp contrast as it beamed a cold glint piercing into anyone's equilibrium. His metallic armor was blacker than most Konatsu garb as his navy, purple blue cape extended towards the marble floor. He smiled happily with a slight tint of sarcasm, indicated by the right side of his lip. He walked towards Datcyde and placed his glove-covered hand on Datcyde's shoulder. 

"It seems as there a more 'Legend of the Braves' for you to compete with my friend." He added jokingly. Datcyde beamed a half smile and a half frown and replied, "You should have come later, so you can see I have become the heir to the thrown and you shall toil as a mere child servant, you bastard." Datcyde smirked. They both had chuckled at each other's comments and he than greeted Tapion and the others. 

"Brother. So you decided to join us. Aren't you weary from battle, Domu?"

Domu walked over towards the Queen and gave her a half hug and whispered in her elfin ear, "Not even the grace of Njanai herself could have hindered my presence from being here and seeing you again, sister. We were once vulnerable to the black magicians but they have not truly known what the Kingdom of Konatsu can do until now," Domu paused and noticed the figure in the middle of the coliseum and continued, "Is this the Legend of the Brave? The prophecies had failed to tell us who exactly, didn't it. He seems a bit off although his power is immense in size, no wonder you prevented my men from fighting him."

"Hrmph. You're half blind. You couldn't tell a cloud from a tree."

"You still seek to flaunt your ignorance sister. My eyes see more than you'd expect."

"Remember who you're talking too." Lady Rezaa smirked meretriciously. Domu narrowed his eyes and smiled towards the saiya-jin who had done a few stretches and warm up exercises.

"Go dad!" Goten yelled.

Gokuu chuckled, "Thanks." Without warning a sudden blow of a very large club met with Gokuu's head. Again another blow had ensued but was quickly maneuvered. Gokuu leaped back a few yards and stood in a fighting stance. Gokuu decided not to talk and chafed the back of his head. 

He glanced at his bulky opponent and noticed there were a lot more opponents in this arena than he anticipated. In a group effort, six or so warriors flew rapidly towards Gokuu, as he fended them off easily, in an untransformed state no less. He noticed that each fighter was as strong as Vejiita when he first arrived on earth. He smiled and had powered up slightly, emanating a glow encircling himself, he began to mop the floor with his sparring adversaries in a massive melee.

Domu didn't look at all too impressed. Tapion smiled on and was quickly reminded how they along side dealt with such a demonic force all those years ago.

One four headed warrior attempted a sneak attack on Son Gokuu but quickly met with the pavement of the walls of the interior. Son Gokuu breathed mildly and surveyed to see if there were any more warriors. Indeed, there was a Konatsu female warrior handling twin blades on the undersides of her arms, with utter poise. She looked more then deadly. She interlocked her hands, as the blades extended out. She disappeared, more or less using magic, and appeared before Son Gokuu and spat an insult in Konatsu dialect. Before she could even attempt to strike her antagonist, suddenly a winged figure appeared from behind.

The woman turned her head and nothing less than fate had met with her surprised expression. The winged one drew a rough, jagged blade attached to his arm and swiftly separated her upper torso from the lower half of her body. Blood spilt upon Gokuu's face and gi as it fell to the ground.

"Wha…? Why did you do that?!? You killed her!" Gokuu protested, disgusted by the cold malice, explicitly displayed by the angel. 

"She was in my way." The winged one replied. Gokuu frowned and tightened his grip. Again, the winged one slashed through, but only hitting empty air. Gokuu appeared at the far end of the arena and wiped the woman's blood from his face. He then decided to use a technique he had used in the longest of time. He yelled, "Kaiou-ken times three!" A blinding red glow grew stronger by each moment.

The angel creature licked the edges of his lips in unreserved anticipation. The glow reflected from his black eyes as Gokuu's reflection became closer and closer by each moment until his foot managed to firmly land on the angel's angular jaw. Suddenly the angel stopped in mid-air, un-hinged and hovering like a ghost. He turned his head towards the glowing fighter and from his mouth came a dark red light wrapped around the deadliest of counter attacks. 

Immediately, Gokuu had blocked the massive beam of ki and ricocheted towards one of the jagged beams in the center of the arena from the back of his hand.  

 The winged angel smiled as if he was toying with his opponent. 

"Why doesn't Son Gokuu just defeat him? The winged one's power is far less than Gokuu's." Minoshia muttered. 

"The angel is just toying with him. Like any great warrior, he is simply storing energy when the real battle ensues." Tapion replied.            

Gohan shifted his attention to Tapion and spoke, "I thought you weren't allowed to kill in these 'games',"

"Ever since the Great Elder had died all those years ago, Konatsu had dramatically changed. Now many are willing to be quenched by that enviable allure with the spilling of blood and the stench of death." Datcyde interrupted.

Lady Rezaa studied the way the two figures moved and fought until she realized. "Njanai…it can't be…" She muttered.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

Gokuu seemed to be doing just fine by avoiding the winged being's attacks until he stopped in midair. He inhaled deeply, and shouted something loud enough to tear the sky into asunder. "DESUUUU!!"

Gokuu frowned and wondered what he was accomplishing by yelling. The winged one continued to yell and out of nowhere, black energy surrounded his body and then it began to swell. 

"What is upsetting you, sister?" Domu asked.

"…That winged warrior…he strikes all to familiar memories."

"Memories of what?" The Queen did not reply as she stood, staring at the winged figure. 

"What's he doing?" Goten thought out loud as he looked up towards the floating figures.

"Maybe he's deciding to finally let himself go." Trunks replied jokingly.

"It looks like he's about to transform. I've seen people do that. Like Zarbon." Gohan looked up and secretly hoped he was wrong.

"Who's Zarbon?" Goten asked.

"One of Freeza's lackeys."

Goten shuttered at the mere utterance of the name of the infamous tyrant lizard, he was told in stories as a child

Unexpectedly, the winged one began to shed his wings. Feather by feather, they began to flutter towards the ground. Cracks began to take notice upon his light skin. It looked grotesque, as the epidermis began to liquefy, resembling something of an insect molding from its exoskeleton, but normally, insects' former skins do not liquefy. From the ashes, came a new, a being. The being was blue, blindingly brilliant and featureless. 

Gokuu blinked with a blank gaze.

Goten muttered, "What the…"

***

The same was happening on earth.

Jinta was changing, morphing, shifting into something entirely singular. Terminus frowned with agitation and waited. Typical behavior of a terrified kanjieka-jin, the soldier of _death thought. But the way she was transforming was very un-characteristic of a kanjieka-jin, as she seemed like she was shedding her skin, into an entirely new quintessence of being. Normally, kanjieka-jins would morph almost liquidly._

Terminus decided to grasp the wailing opportunity of finally capturing the being he had so desperately sought out all theses centuries. He extended his arm and hand and from it formed an encased sphere of energy, which appeared around the shape-shifting girl.

"/Do not struggle against my will, Desumasuku's will. /" 

Jinta had become something entirely different. Blue, bright, and featureless, _her being faced its adversary, with little vacillation. It then opened its arms and raised its head as pure light emanated throughout its body. _

"/Continue to waste your energy. Soon you will be one. /"

***

Gokuu could sense it. What had been a hardly angelic warrior became an almost featureless, azure being of concentrated ki. It was powerful; in fact more powerful then Gokuu could of counted on, suffice to say, it wasn't as powerful as previous encounters with past adversaries.

It was then, Gokuu, decided to raise his ki a bit more, anticipating any attack the shifting being would throw. Rims of azure energy spouted from the being's coil, brilliant enough to light a thousand worlds.   

Much of the cheering and jeering of the audience had begun to fade, when the winged being's body began to warp, shift in many ways a mortal body were never meant to move. Moments later, what was once a faceless, shifting being had become a reservoir of a monstrosity. A large tentacle like mass blindingly flew towards Gokuu, enwrapped around his struggling body.

"NO!" Gohan cried out in horror soon to be followed by masses of cries of terror.

Tapion unconsciously felt for his golden blade and drew forth. Sharp clamors of sliding blades against their holdings ringed across of all who possessed swords stood. Datcyde's brow fell under the weight of his function and declared, "Do not worry yourself my Queen. Darkness has made itself known once again, whatever shape it may be, it will be vanquished."

Lady Rezaa slowly shoot up to watch in un-tampered horror of the Legend of the Brave, writhe inside the obscene mass of flesh, an embodiment of all that is grotesque.  

"Another histrionic speech Datcyde I might say?" Domu smirked sarcastically.

"Son Gokuu needs our help. The time for shallow observances has ended Domu!" Datcyde swiftly responded.

"If he is the savior of all, then why doesn't he just destroy the massive monstrosity?" The dark elfin figure rose, studying the giant mass. 

Datcyde chose not to reply, but instead flew down towards the blood-drenched dirt of the arena as Tapion joined with him.  

"Dad!" Goten yelled over Uubu's cry for his sensei.

"What just happened?" Kuririn asked sheepishly.

"I don't know, but father's in dire straits. I can sense his ki…it's like its being bleed dry." Gohan muttered.

Gokuu cringed as he struggled against the grip of the blue, shapeless mass of flesh. A foreboding aura of damned souls began to encircle around the mass with what it seemed like forms of beings crying out in agony from the mass, as it was draining the very power Gokuu fought to maintain. Whatever this monstrosity was it sure was powerful enough to sustain such a hold on the strongest being in the universe. The saiyan felt his very being merged into the mass as he fought with all his will to break out of its deathly grasp.  

"Dad, don't worry! Were coming!" Shouted Goten and quickly turned to Trunks, "C'mon Trunks, lets turn super saiyan."

"Yeah!" Trunks nodded.

"No wait," Gohan cut short their valiant strides and added, "Whatever that thing is, its draining dad's ki, so we better save our transformations for later when we have to."

"But Gokuu, brother and Datcyde need our help!" Trunks argued.

"Let's just raise our ki, so maybe we have a chance of saving him and finally destroy this…thing…"

"Good idea, Gohan." Kuririn added.

"I don't think it would be wise for you to blindly go into battle like that, Gokuu's son," Domu spoke from behind.

"How did you, but why…?" Interrupting Gohan's puzzled response, Gokuu let out a deafening cry in agony. The massive blob then expanded towards the rim of the coliseum and made a large indent into the seating of the spectators. Hundreds of Konats cried out in horror as the very flesh was pulling them that was keeping Gokuu at bay. Most of them began to sink into the soft, almost permeable flesh of the mass, contributing to its very foundation of clout.

Datcyde cursed in his native language, aloud and concentrated on the mass before him.

"Datcyde, you take the front and divert its attention while I try to get Gokuu out from its grip."

"Which is the front?" Datcyde asked.

"Brother I'll help you." Minoshia glided down by Tapion's side.

"So will I," Another voice came from behind. Tapion looked behind and saw Trunks with a determined expression. Tapion briefly hesitated and responded, "Alright. Weaken it with your blasts while Minoshia and I try to rescue Son Kun."

"Right!" Trunks made a fighter's stance and a near golden aura encircled around him. "Alright you big, pile of puke, I'm going to take care of you right now!" Declared Trunks.

"Don't forget us." Gohan as well as the others landed and powered up, ready for the confrontation ahead.

"Are you sure Kuririn you can handle this? You haven't been really training ever since Marron was born." Gohan stressed.

"I have to do something, I just can't watch Gokuu die like that. What are we waiting for?" Gohan stepped back and quickly accelerated towards the grotesque leviathan as Kuririn swallowed all his fear and doubts. Goten and Trunks dully followed, ki transcending.

Uubu did his best to hide his fear and uneasiness, naturally. He possessed incredible power and synergy, yet lacked any experience fighting any real foes. Kami willing, the years spent training with his sensei would shine trough and maybe even demonstrate just a fraction of the ferocity he had as the accursed demon, _Buu._

"Uubu! What are you just standing around for? Attack from the sides!" Yelled Datcyde.

"Uh…uh…" Uubu lightly gasped. The swarthy reincarnate witnessed the sheer intensity of the way the mass moved. First it grabbed onto Goten's leg, sending him careening towards the fleeing spectators as if he were a rag doll and quickly crashed through the pavement.

During all of this, Domu decided to sit this one out and survey these visitors' powers and technique. He crossed his arms, awaiting a good show his magistrate sister had insisted upon.

"Goten! Damn you!" Trunks bellowed. Kuririn surely stood on top of the coliseum and from his raised hand, a kienzan serrated disc formed almost immediately.

"Don't worry Gokuu! I'll get you out of this mess! KIENZAN!" Kuririn threw the disc and lunged in a rapid blur, difficult enough for Uubu to even see. The masses of flesh instantly dodge Kuririn's ill attempt to free his long time friend from its clutches. "What? Its faster then I thought," Kuririn frowned.

Gokuu tried desperately to transform into his golden super saiya-jin state, but found his energy being drained from within.

"Gohan…Got…" Then Gokuu's reality turned black. 

Gohan seemingly had no trouble dodge the mass's tentacles of flesh. Remembering his encounter with Hildegarn, Gohan bent backwards in an almost limbo fashion, as the mass of flesh whizzed by over his head. He wasn't about to let this husk of death take him for its lunch. _I have to get father. Gohan thought. _

It was then Trunks decided to extend his arms and shoot multiple blasts from his palms, piercing the soft, blue flesh of the mass. Regeneration had most of the time been a characteristic of many past enemies and Trunks moaned in utter frustration as the flesh re-gathered.

From the edge of Trunks' eye, a large mass of flesh thrusted straight towards the purple haired hybrid saiyan and into his mouth. Tapion's pupils grew bigger as Trunks slowly was drained through is mouth. His eyes turned pale, as the stench of death was near. "Trunks!" The mo-hawk warrior yelled.

In a split second, Tapion turned his utter disgust on the mass of flesh, and flew towards the repressed Gokuu. Tapion let out a war cry, raised his God given sword and cut threw where the Gokuu had been wedged. The drained saiyan fell to the ground with a loud collision into the crust of the ground. Tapion landed, thus forming fractures on the ground and ran towards Gokuu.

"Son Gokuu, are you alright? Can you hear me?" With no reply, Tapion knew if Gokuu wasn't dead, he was very well near it.

"TAPION! WATCH OUT!" Yelled the dashing Datcyde. Another large tentacle, heading straight towards Tapion and the unconscious Gokuu, was soon cut off by Datcyde's thin katana. Joined by other tentacles, they soon again made their way towards them, and almost over took Datcyde and the rest, if Gohan hadn't joined in.

"Tapion, take Gokuu somewhere safe away from here!" Datcyde yelled.

"Hai." Tapion levitated off where Lady Rezaa could only watch in disbelief.

"My Queen. Why haven't you fled?"

"I'm not as weak as you see me, Tapion," Lady Rezaa declared. "But now is not the time for dispute, give him to me."

Tapion wanted desperately to fix his echelon with the Queen by apologizing, yet found himself lost with words. 

"That is an order. If you are the Legend of the Brave, then you will do as I say." She stipulated.

"Forgive me, my Queen." Tapion dropped his head and soon felt a rising force and turned his head towards the other mo-hawk warrior. 

Uubu gasped heavily and frowned. He felt his head spin and boil with fury. His heart became heavy with rage and began to feel emotions he hadn't felt since he could remember. How dare this thing hurt his friends! Uubu's body went a blazed with a coruscating aura of pink; a simple flicker of rage ignited within and let out a war cry, all to similar to his past demonic presence. Muscles bulged and ki transcended, a shockwave of power uprooted the mass's hold of the ground and tumbled down with sudden momentum, crashing through the edge of the coliseum.

Everyone turned his or her heads towards Uubu with astonishment. It was clear now that the boy had immense strength even Gohan hadn't seem to possess. "You will not hurt my friends ANYMORE!! HAAAAAA!!!!" The boy roared.  

Another shockwave, this time around, even more immense, concentrated force, casted the writhing mass into the side of the coliseum, creating a large gap in the process, as it crashed down hard. From the smoking crater, the massive blob moved quickly about, akin to a slithering serpent, stirring, moving in for the kill, only this time, its kills were anyone in its way. Leaving a path of destruction, buildings and markets were laden to waste, people shrieking in absolute terror.

"Gokuu must have taught well if this boy is this powerful." Datcyde assumed.

The rest of the Z-Senshi were left in astonishment and wondered how powerful this Buu reincarnate really was. Gohan was quickly reminded of himself when he had gone through that cataclysmic ordeal of fighting that terrible bio android, _Cell. _

"Wow, Uubu. Father has always said you were powerful, but I never thought you were like this." Admitted Gohan.

Uubu breathed heavily, veins and muscles throbbing with anger.

From the wreckage of the crater, Goten managed to get up without limping and wiped the blood from the edge of his mouth. Then he saw his friends, including Trunks, lying helpless.

"Trunks!" He gasped, rose and flew towards his friend. "Trunks…oh no…" Goten stared at his the pale eyes of his fallen friend and feared for the worst. Trunks looked so frail, drained of his energy. Goten was angry enough to go after the blob all by himself.   

"Don't worry Goten. Trunks isn't dead, but he's in bad shape. If only we brought some senzu beans…I wonder if they have any healing methods here." Gohan pondered aloud. 

Minoshia walked towards his fallen "brother" and knelt beside him. "I think I can heal him. Let me try." The young Konat suggested. "You can heal?" Goten asked, looking puzzled. "Hai. Very few are born with the gift. Luckily I can, he, he." Minoshia chuckled.

He placed his hands on Trunks' head, and then his hands soon began to glow with energy, seeping through Trunks' paralyzed body. He let go and stepped back. Goten smiled, waiting for his friend to come back. Instantly, Trunks gasped heavily for air and then again, dropped his head to the side, without expression.

"What? It didn't work!" Minoshia frowned in both frustration and disappointment, as so did Goten and his older brother.

Goten then jumped. "Dad! Is he all right? I can hardly feel any of his ki." Gohan squinted into the horizon and saw something coming. "Gohan! Hello!" Goten yelled.

"Quiet. Can you feel that?" Gohan asked.

"Feel what? I don't…" Goten paused for a moment and looked were Gohan was busily focusing on. "Yeah. Could it be that big blob thing again?"

"Most likely. It seems were not finished dealing with this perversion of nature," Datcyde breathed heavily and cleaned his blue, thick, viscous liquid on the blade with his fingers.

Gohan's assumption was more than correct, when everyone soon realized the massive blob was racing back towards the torn coliseum, this time more powerful. "That thing drained most of Gokuu and Trunks' energy, so it must be hundreds of times stronger." Datcyde winced with anticipation.

"You're kidding?" Kuririn landed besides Datcyde and readied himself.

"Where were you little man? You throw a sharp toy at it and you give up?" Datcyde smirked.

Kuririn frowned, not knowing how to respond. The mass made its way towards the arena and destroyed all that was left of the wake of its destruction.

"It's coming this way!" Minoshia yelled. 

"Not again!" Goten growled. 

Uubu tightened his grip; ready once again for the blob. Whatever tricks and moves it had, he was ready for. The blue, massive globule of flesh rose, soaring higher then the flags that stood atop of the coliseum. 

Datcyde decided not to put faith on the young boy again for its inevitable annihilation and took things in his own hands. Instead, he stood, steadfast with the blade of the sword against his head. His eyes were closed and soon a luminous, pale aura began to surround the elfin warrior. The bright aura grew larger and larger until it was as immense as the very thing he was trying to vanquish.  

The colossi of flesh drove itself were Lady Rezaa and Tapion stood. Tapion, without hesitation, lunged himself far away, carrying an unconscious Gokuu, flung over his back and grasping Lady Rezaa. Instantly the white aura flew towards the blue husk of flesh and penetrated itself through the blob and it made the sharpest of cries, beyond any scratch on a chalkboard or any animal shriek could make. 

Goten placed his hands on his ears, as did anyone who had their hands free. The deafening cry could be heard several miles away, if anyone that far could hear it. It was hurt. Soon the white aura all but dissolved into thin air, when Datcyde opened his eyes. 

Those same, widening eyes caught another figure sitting on one of the abandoned spectator marble benches. Datcyde couldn't make out the figure to clearly, as it was all the way on the other side of the coliseum.

Responding to the pain, the heap of flesh turned and slammed itself upon Uubu, the one who had knocked it out of the arena and made another high-pitched screeching noise. Uubu did his best to avoid the falling giant, but found himself being crushed into the encrusted ground of the arena. The mass was writhing about the arena until it rose again, Datcyde cringing in disbelief, "Uubu! No…it can't be!" 

Instead of striking against the others, once again, it shot forth towards the rising, cloaked figure, sporting the longest of cloak capes. Then, the mass drove itself, headfirst, into the cloaked figure's chest. It was as if the figure was absorbing the mass, cape waving in the forceful wind, adjoined together. Moments later, the mass dissipated into the figure's heart, and everyone who had remained were baffled.

Datcyde flew where Uubu had been crushed. "Uubu, can you get up?" Datcyde asked in a coolly voice, despite what had happened to Uubu. Immediately, Uubu shot forth from the ground and grasped on his arm and side. "That thing must have broken my arm…" Datcyde seemed a bit relieved.

"Sister, I'd advise you to leave. If this person is responsible for all of this then maybe you shall flee while the others take care of it.

"You coward. You just stand there like a frightened child. How dare you call yourself a warrior!"

"You may be the magistrate of this kingdom, but alas, your blood is as blue as mine. I was merely studying the way our guests fight. You know the last person…"

"I am not that person, Domu. You could have helped them." Lady Rezaa argued. It was then Domu drew his sword and stood in front of his Queen as well as his sister. There, in front to them, the cloaked figure walked slowly towards Lady Rezaa and Domu. "You there! Show yourself! Show everyone who you are!" Domu demanded.

Contradicting Domu's demands, the cloaked one had seemingly used a zanzoken technique and appeared right before an unconscious Gokuu and knelt.

"Stay away from him!" The Queen shouted. Lady Rezaa couldn't see it, nevertheless the cloaked being placed its mouth on Gokuu's and a bright light emanated from the two.

"What's it doing? Don't you hurt my dad!" Shouted Goten. With no avail, the bright light was suddenly gone and the being rose and stood, expecting something.

What the frailness streaked across Gokuu's body and face had soon reverted back to normal, as his wounds became mere, un-noticeable blemishes. His eyes opened, gradually, first seeing a major blur of a figure standing before him. "Wha…?" Gokuu's dry voice cracked as he sat up, rubbing his head and eyes, "What happened?"

"DAD!" Gohan and Goten shouted in unison.

"Sensei!" Uubu happily grinned. 

"Gokuu! Ha, ha! He's alive! He's all right! But…" Kuririn celebrated, as did Tapion and the others.

"Gokuu…you're alive, but why did you revive him? You're responsible for the destruction of this coliseum and several of my people, why do this?" Lady Rezaa chiefly asked.

"It is simply playing with our emotions. Stand back, sister," Domu declared, sword pointing towards the cloaked assailant.

"You do not want to fight with this one, brother," Rezaa responded. 

"You seem to know this person. Who is it?" Domu asked, loudly. 

"Take off your hood. Show everyone your true face." Lady Rezaa demanded. A light, soothing tone of voice echoed throughout the near empty coliseum and spoke, "You know very well I have no true form, my Queen," And then the figure disintegrated and reappeared by Trunks body. Goten immediately attempted to protect Trunks' near lifeless body from the _blob master._

"Get away from him! I won't let you hurt my friend! I said, GET AWA…" Then Goten felt a strong grip on his shoulders, preventing him from doing anything he would regret soon or later. 

"Goten, stand back." The cloaked figure insisted. It dropped to the drained boy, lying hapless, eyes pale and skin depleted of its youth, aged beyond his years.

"How did you know…?" Goten's expression went from protective to puzzled in a matter of milliseconds.  

"Goten, don't. Or you'll end up like Trunks." Gohan muttered. The figure's lips met with Trunks' not so much in a sensual manner than a _healing matter. As with Gokuu, the once stolen energy had been given back to his originator. Skin turned smoother, pupils appeared like they were once before, the very life force had been injected back into Trunks, now gasping for air. Sitting up, Trunks' vision was nothing more than a blur and saw the same figure, only this time the figure was moving._

Gokuu got up, stirred with confusion. "Hey, where is everyone?" He asked, looking for any activity in the near empty coliseum.

"That thing attacked you, Gokuu-sa, draining you and Trunks' both of your energy, but now it had opened its hand by giving back your energy as well as Trunks'. This is very perplexing." Tapion answered.

"Yes, I remember. Was Trunks hurt too?" Tapion simply nodded as Gokuu frowned at the cloaked figure and placed his two fingers on his forehead and disappeared and reappeared beside the shadowy figure. "Wait!" Lady Rezaa called.

"Who are you? Why have you done this?" Gokuu asked forcefully. The saiyan balled his fists, expecting some kind of answer rather than a passive one.  

Without replying, the figure dropped the hood from its head and looked into Gokuu's weary eyes. Lady Rezaa' s heart sank to her stomach and somehow she knew this would happen, along the way. "Jinta…" She whispered.

From the anonymous, the twin suns' light caught forth the face behind the cloak. The face was indeed feminine, as it carried marks or insignias of an alien, unknown language, coming from her forehead and ending to her ears. Her hair was thinly spiky, yet long, as a deep blood red ran down to the very tips of her strands. One look into her deep silver eyes-they were almost _divine. She smiled and spoke, "Forgive me Son Gokuu. Forgive me for any trouble and misfortune I may have caused you and your friends."_

Gokuu and anyone who heard her speak were taken aback from the woman's apology. "May? You nearly killed Son Gokuu and Trunks, caused a massacre of hundreds of people as well as causing near destruction with that damned blob of yours!" Spat Datcyde.

Ignoring Datcyde's obvious remark, she turned towards Lady Rezaa and flew quickly, in a blur of motion and nonchalantly asked in the Queen's pointy ear, "Good morning, my Queen. Beautiful day isn't it?"

Lady Rezaa felt her power rise from within.

***

Vejiita raised his head from the crimson pool of blood, spilt before him. He felt that exact ki signature, which left Piccolo speechless, shifting throughout his torn body. A few veins started to thin out as he discontinued his training session. He moved about the flaming wreckage of all the destroyed mechas and robots the computer mainframe of the new training room, Bulma had recently built, could throw at him: in one hundred thousand times gravity no less. Even training in those extreme numbers can easily take a toll on even the most powerful, super saiya-jin princes.

"Vejiita, are you alright? Are you done training for today? Your power must have increased dramatically." Said Dr. Brief's voice from the intercom.

Vejiita, while walking, turned his head towards the window where Dr. Briefs sat with his black cat-like creature upon his shoulder and replied, "What do you think, old man?" Dr. Briefs scratched the back of his head, lowered the gravity lever and the near torment had ceased. 

Vejiita wiped his bloody grimace with the back of his glove and spat on the floor and walked steadily outside the training room.

He felt it again; only it was more immense in power. Out of nowhere, he clenched his head and groaned with agony. Vejiita dropped to the floor and clenched even tighter, now with his hands on the back of his neck, facing the floor. A glow of power began to emit from the saiya-jin prince with astonishment.

Bra, nearby, caught sight of her agonizing father and scram, "Papa!"

"What's going on? Are you hurt?" asked the weary Bra.

"Ehhhhhhh…what is…?" Vejiita struggled to place even a few words together and gripped his hands tightly.

"Mama!" She called.

"No…don't call your mother…"

"But…"

And then, she appeared. "What is it Bra? Vejiita? What's going on?" Bulma gasped.

"Its papa. He's hurt." Bra was petrified for her father as she desperately searched for some type of comfort within Bulma. Bulma, immediately bent down and asked, "Vejiita, what's wrong?"

Vejiita then rose to his normal stance and breathed heavily.

"What just happened right now?" Bulma asked, anxiously. Vejiita didn't reply and started to walk towards the opposite direction. Bulma demanded an answer and wasn't about to give up. "Wait! Vejiita. What is going on? Did you feel something painful?" She caught up with her husband and faced his dark grimace.

"You wouldn't understand." Vejiita replied.

"Try me." Vejiita paused for a few moments and then decided to give her, her damn answer she wanted so badly. "I felt a ki, a ki I don't recognize. It was like it had gone inside me…" Vejiita looked uncomfortable talking about such matters.

"Wait a minute. You're not thinking of going out there the way that you are…?"

Vejiita made passed Bulma, ignoring her threats and yells. Down a few flights of stories, Vejiita walked outside onto the front lawn and breathed in the mid morning air. Bulma then caught up with him and made a disappointing gesture by placing her hand on her waist.

"Why do you like to run out on me all the time? At least get yourself rejuvenated." Without replying, Vejiita opened a bag of senzu beans and flickered one into his mouth, ate and swallowed it. Following a full restoration of vigor and power, Vejiita beamed, "Send my regards to that talking cat friend of yours. These are more than useful." He smirked.

Vejiita then powered up and flew towards the sky, forming a white streak trail behind him.

"Wait Vejiita!" Bulma called. She watched Vejiita hurtle into the horizon with brazen power and sighed and hoped to Kami, he would be all right.

***


	6. Path To Mergence

**Chapter VI: Path To Mergence**

_Son of death comes! Warriors clash!!_

Piccolo had found them.

That lingering, suffocating feeling had grown considerably stronger. It was dense, the power he had felt earlier, yet now it was dim as a winter storm at dusk. Now, Piccolo had seemingly traced its source to two floating figures, high above the tallest skyscrapers. Naturally, the namek had hidden his ki, almost completely and froze, behind an aged, dilapidated cathedral.

Piccolo felt EXTREMELY reluctant to face the two otherworldly beings, flying into battle blindly, or asking away for their intentions, if they had any. Waiting to see what would happen next would seem to be the next, wisest choice for now. Beads of sweat appeared almost indefinitely as the rolled down into his cape, draped shoulder.

Strange beyond comprehension, everything was at an immovable pause. From birds in mid-flight to water from the nearby fire hydrant, surrounded by playing children had been frozen, almost embedded in time.

Piccolo seemed almost frightened. Reality itself, at least in this city, had stopped. _What happened here…? He thought._

All this seemed so distant, so surreal from atop of the urban canopy that was South City. Terminus was growing with hunger. He could almost savor the taste of _her power. _

It was then Terminus took things into his own hands by trying to stop little Jinta's transformation. By sheer mental ability, the shifter extended his hand and closed it slowly, causing the enigmatic Jinta to scream the loudest of cries.

Terminus didn't seem all too affected by the piercing shriek, but certain others with uncanny hearing abilities had been forced to cover their ears. Next, all the namek could hear was the crashing and battering of a skyscraper, when the shifting being had been thrown down clear into one and landed onto the pavement below, thus forming a good sized crater.

The blue, featureless being laid there, haplessly, frantically searching for a way to finally put an end to its frantic fleeing. 

Piccolo could see it only a few blocks away, right into the middle of frozen traffic. The green demon saw the other; more built character land straight on top of the blue, liquid like figure and did his best to conceal himself into the dark silhouette of the alley.

"/Not retaliating, I see? Tell me, where is Jinta…?"/ 

"My other part of…my being…is in Konatsu."

"Very wise decision to tell me. Konatsu? What is she doing there? Interesting…You're struggling will only…" Without warning the blue figure's whole body managed to escape Terminus booted grip and decided to slice its pursuer's arm off, as well as, parts of his torso. Apparently, Kanjieka-jins are entirety devoid of blood as none gushed anxiously out nor pain, as Terminus smiled and watched the blue figure frantically escape.

After a few seconds, the missing appendage had formed, regenerated into anew. Over the years, Piccolo grew tired of masses of enemies, all possessing the ability to generate, most of the time from a single cell, as if they were mocking his own regenerative abilities. 

Terminus always had a knack for stopping things in mid motion as the blue figure had been fully paralyzed by his time freezing technique. Like cracking thick ice with a hammer, Terminus did what Piccolo thought was strange. A pulsating charge erupted inside the shifter's palm and soon blasted out, into the sky above. It looked just as similar to Gokuu's Denki Dama, and soon expanded into a blanket of sonic ki and was descending slowly towards the ground.

It was then Piccolo decided to avoid whatever was falling without making himself obvious as he flew in between buildings, far away from the descending blanket of ki.

Instantly, it plummeted quickly into the still city and shattered everything it enveloped. Buildings, trees, cars, people, streets, all shattered into pieces as if they were mere glass. Piccolo had barely managed to escape the hovering cover of death and flew towards a nearby cliff.

For a split second, South City had turned white. Like an atomic explosion, causing destruction in everything in its path, the city was laid to waste. Piccolo did his best to block the gale force winds and sheer light from destroying his vision.  

The blue figure shattered into pieces in the wake of the city's inevitable destruction. What was once a prosperous city was now mere ruble with smoke billowing into the horizon. Terminus moved about the rumble and husks of partially destroyed buildings and saw the shattered remains of his prey. He knelt slowly down to pick up one of the pieces and studied it. _/No matter what I do, Jinta always comes back. / The soldier of __death thought to himself._

Piccolo frowned and cringed with anger. He didn't know whether to face this warrior alone and find out what he wants or go and warn the others.

The shattered segments quickly became anamorphous, mercury like liquid, and started take on substance and body, totally condensed of ki. Terminus smiled and chuckled for a few, brief moments, which soon turned to a deep, piercing frown.

/_What is this…this isn't Jinta completely. She must have separated into more than a few beings. This one is weak…She must be hiding on Konatsu…Oh well, this shall do for now…/ Terminus thought._

The intense glow became warmer as the being was levitating by Terminus's psychic techniques no doubt, as his chest opened to reveal concentrated radiance, blinding all that would lay their eyes upon him. The being entered and merged as his chest quickly swirled in motion to close.

The dark shifter spoke aloud, "Hello there, Namek. You can come and stop hiding now." Piccolo gasped and frowned.

Terminus smiled again, and shifted his head to the inclosing Piccolo. He landed with gently on top of giant piece of concrete, several hundred feet away from Terminus and swiftly narrowed his eyes. 

"I knew there was a disturbance. Tell me…who are you …how did you sense my presence?" Piccolo paused and asked forcefully without hesitance, "You've chosen to come to this planet and destroy it?"

Terminus paused for a moment and responded, "Destroy? What will I gain in that? In truth, my concern does not at all dwell on this small, spinning husk of rock."    

"Then what do you want?" Piccolo asked sharply.

"None of your concern, my Namekian friend." Terminus replied coolly. Piccolo growled under his breath and looked into the shifter's fire-piercing eyes and asked, "Tell me, who are you?"

"The real question is whether you live long enough to hear it. I'm not sure you understand the situation here. The only thing you comprehend is that you're afraid that I might harm and even destroy your precious world, when in actuality it is the opposite."

"So you're here to preserve this planet? I somehow doubt that, the way you destroyed this city only proves you seek to reek havoc."

"Hrmph. Enough banter." Terminus unexpectedly blasted off into straight up into the air and spoke, "Your welcome to come along if you'd like." He quipped.

"You're not going anywhere." Piccolo muttered and blasted off, after the shifter. Terminus speed up with absolute speed, where Piccolo had found it difficult to keep up him. It was then Terminus felt another presence, coming from the north. 

"And so another party wants to join the fun." Terminus smirked devilishly. It was clear that the shifter's intent was to fly off into deep space, trying to get his pursuer off from his trail. 

Vejiita was closer to whatever was causing this pain, swelling inside him. He sensed he was reaching ever closer, until he spotted them.

"Piccolo? Where is he going? The fool…" Vejiita muttered.

Piccolo was now far above the cloudy atmosphere of the earth, chasing after Terminus. It was then Terminus stopped in midair, and faced the Namekian. Piccolo raised his ki, anticipating some type of attack he would pull off. "You know very well, once you leave entirely the planet's surface, you cannot breathe in space."

"I can manage."

"On second thought, I could destroy the earth. How about that?" Terminus spoke nonchalantly.

"What??" Piccolo blinked, "I don't think so. Sudden change of heart I see. Now, you're going to eat those words!" Piccolo let out a menacing roar and charged toward Terminus, ki charging within his grasp, with a glint of fury in his eyes. 

Terminus extended his hand again towards the charging green demon, and the demon king froze in his tracks.

"Now we'll see who will eat their bluffed, over drought speeches," He mused. Like a symphony conductor, he waved his hand about; moving Piccolo closer to his side and spat, "Tell me, have you ever seen such a beauty? Ever seen a planet blow up into mere dust, right before your last breath?"

Piccolo struggled to even breathe. "I take that as a 'no'." Terminus smiled. 

Immediately, he raised his hand, as a black charge of ki charged and soon began to form a ball of black, swelling ki. It began to grow bigger and bigger, until it was the size of the moon itself.

"Goodbye, earth."

Vejiita saw the grandiose size ball, on its way towards impact. Seeing this gigantic ball only brought memories when Kakarotto powered his Denki Dama to once in for all, destroy Majin Buu.

"KUSO!!" He yelled as he placed his palms together, over each other, energy engorging inside.

Within minutes he yelled, "FINAL FLASH!!!"

Instantly, a huge beam of bright ki shot its way towards the ever-descending apocalypse of ki. "YAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" He screamed on the top of his lungs.

_No…Piccolo thought, __If only Gokuu were here…_

"He's not here." Terminus replied.

Piccolo could barely eye at him, with hate. As soon as, the beam of ki, made contact with the dark ball of energy, the ball itself, engulfed and absorbed it, adding more power to its already destructive nature.

Vejiita cursed more than a drunken sailor and shot, arms blazing with all the ki he had left to merely delay their inevitable destruction.

On the surface, the earth itself was coil and buckling, fissures rose, thus splitting the once closed crust of the earth, debris rose with ease. Of the few major metropolitan cities, all of them had become hell unleashed. 

Civilization on earth locked in fear for a few brief moments. From windows of houses and apartment complexes to people walking out from their automobiles, they all in unison stared directly that their impending fate. Millions upon millions of people began panicking in an almost insane manner; in a last ditch effort to escape from whatever was causing these maelstroms of massive quakes that began to erupt. Buildings, statues, monuments, anything in its way began to collapse into the opening chasm, as bubbling lava flowed from within. 

Armageddon had begun.

*

Bulma held the crying Bra in her warm embrace, wondering what in the hell was going on. "Everything is going to be alright, baby. Just be calm…" Bulma herself could barely hang on to her sanity as she saw high above, the small, yet growing sphere of ki, on top of that, worried herself near to tears, over her absent husband.

"Vejiita…" She muttered.

*

 Tenshinhan had halted his sparring session with Chaouzu and saw the massive ball of destruction, in the distance, beyond the artic mountainous glaciers. 

"What is that?" Chaouzu asked. "I don't know…but its coming this way…I sense two, no three ki's up there. I think one of them is Vejiita. My Kami…there's an ungodly power up there…I bet it's coming from that ball of energy."

"We have to do something, Ten!" Chaouzu declared a heroic tone of voice.

"You're right! Come on, let's help Vejiita…only this once." Tenshinhan stripped off his cloak and charged towards the massive ball.

"Ready Chaouzu?"

"Yes!"

***

"No! No! NO!! This shouldn't be happening!!" Kaiou Sama yelled, antenna's quivering, visibly shaken. The Z-Senshi would never abandon their duty, when the earth had been threatened, whether it be by aliens, androids, demons, natural disasters, they were able to handle it. Yet now, most of them were by now gone, to Konatsu.

Perfecting timing.

"They're gone! Gokuu is gone! They're all gone! I only see Vejiita and Picc…oh dear…what are they going to do? This is terrible!" The northern Kaiou gasped with his antennae still twitching about. Bubbles began to jump up, with various flowers in his hand, desperately trying to catch his master's detoured attention. 

"NOT NOW BUBBLES!!" He screamed. Bubbles stopped jumping with a long face with his flowers wilted.

"What is it, Kaiou Sama?" Gregory asked, confused.

"The end, Gregory, the end of the earth." Kaiou Sama's voice went from fretting to absolute despair. 

Gregory gasped and let out a, "Oh, no…"

***

Terminus thrusted one of his hands outwards, still supporting the dark sphere as it pressed downwards even further.

"You know, Namek, I almost feel bad doing this. It isn't everyday, I get to blow up a planet into oblivion," Terminus chuckled, "Now then…what's this? Vejiita? Here on this planet? He's protecting it. Surely by now he would have sold this rock, or at least destroyed it. Strange."

Vejiita shot a whole array of ki blasts, like a madman, into the falling sphere. To the saiya-jin's dismay, none of his attacks seemed to work at all. It seemed now all was lost.

Vejiita was close enough to the sphere that he wrapped himself around it, clenching on it, so that maybe his self-destruction could at least stop the sphere from impact. It was beyond scorching hot, when Vejiita's flesh touched the sphere. He screamed in both pain from the heat and agony of never seeing his mate in this mortal plane, again.

With Vejiita hanging on, the huge sphere was only a few feet away from the ground itself, when Vejiita suddenly erupted, literally. He screamed on the top of his lungs, when he suddenly was driven into the earth's crust, the very thing he once tried to destroy. His last thoughts were _Bulma…_

One could almost say it was beautiful, the way the sphere merged with the earth. It was vaporizing everything in its way, even the very explosion Vejiita had caused. Finally it impacted and drilled itself towards the inner core. The landscape ripped open, as if hell itself was escaping. The earth shook, moments before it would explode with the attack. 

Before Piccolo could breathe his last breath, the planet known as earth had turned white, and light broke through the darkness.

"Goodbye." Terminus muttered.

*

Amidst what was left of the ruined planet, Terminus surveyed the deep, empty space and spoke, "You see, Namek, there are some things in life that must be taken care of before you move on. I knew from the very beginning, you and your friends would be a nuisance. It simply had to be done."

"Bastard…" Piccolo muttered right before his world had became white.

Terminus eyes glowed a haunting black, leaving little contrast to the infinite space.

*

Piccolo opened his eyes. His vision was out of focus and fuzzy as he struggled to maintain his balance. Soon, he realized he did not need his balance as he was floating aimlessly in space.

There, in front of him was Terminus and the earth. The shifter had his arms crossed, expecting the Namek to be dazed and confused.

"What?? How the hell…" Piccolo's face was more than puzzled and shocked, in unison. 

"What would you said If I could see everything. Did you know reality itself could, in fact, be manipulated by the sheer force of your being?" Terminus smirked.

"The earth…its…"

"…Back. No it was always there…Humorous how one moment you see the earth dissipate into one climatic explosion and next, it had been there all along."

_An illusion…? Piccolo thought._

"The time for utterance has come to an end. The moment has come for me to leave." Terminus was gone, in a blink of an eye.

Piccolo frowned and stared down at the earth. What was once erased from existence, was now back in its entirety. 

"Impossible…" Piccolo grunted.

***

"Perhaps I spoke too soon." Jinta reckoned. She stared into the commemorating golden statue of Gokuu and chuckled informally at the saiyan. The shifter stood outside of the sanctuary, hearing the echoes of divergence of senators, arguing amongst each other and laughed again. Several gaurds surrounded her, persuading the populace that the shifter was under control. She decided to go along with the Queen's plans-for now.

Lady Rezaa sat on her senate throne, amongst the council with a stern grimace. The very utterance of her name, Jinta, the forbidden one, sent shockwaves amongst the psychically linked council. Although emotions ran thin, as long ago, apathy had been set in place as a prime rule among the council senate, one would think they seemed all more than a little perturbed. 

Two volatile substances had been combined when the forbidden one had shone itself onto the world: emotion and magic. The influence of such power was like the flame burning with an over-abundance of fuel, such a mixture of the two lead to maddening power, which, in turn, lead the past Konatsu monarchy to its ashes.

"My eminence, I do not wish to question your judgment, but I must not concur. You cannot be serious by allowing her to roam around our cities; the very livelihood of our people is in dire jeopardy by her very presence. From the scrolls of Odarin, it states 'The woman known as Jinta shall be forever known as The Forbidden One, shall herby declared to be eternally exiled from Konatsu, for the unspeakable crimes stanch by the unforgivable mass murders of her children, the devastation of the ancient sacrosanct realms that served as thy home for thy hallowed ancients.' These are troubled times, you know that. It is not uncommon to see a dead body of a child festering in the streets, sadly." One of the councilmen put down the scrolls and raised his head and argued, "We have all witnessed what she is capable of, but we are not for certain what she is fully capable of." 

A few grunts of agreements echoed throughout the room and about the sanctuary. Tapion sat along side of Lady Rezaa and pondered what to counter argue their defense.

"There is no other alternative. I do fully realize of the forbidden one's past crimes of Konatsu. The very effort to wage war against her with our forces was near suicide, taking each and every one of us to the brink of sanity, reaching the very limits of our existence. If we do not comply with her requests, may we all suffer…I will not sit and watch my people die, thus the council would not agree to her menial demands."

"It sounds almost as if you are supporting her instead of your own people." Argued another.

"I wish not another catastrophe on our kingdom, which had ended to all to recently. Have you forgotten already of the rampage of Hildegarn that had ravaged our world? You have Son Gokuu to thank for vanquishing the demon. If we comply, as Jinta stays for the time being, we have a lesser chance of having the pit of fire, reaching our world ever again."

"I do not question Son Gokuu's ability as a fighter, but I do question your ability as a Queen," Declared a small, old figure, which sat at the highest level of the senate.  

 Datcyde stood at the far corner, against a large column with his arms crossed and face lowered. He had about enough of the councilmen's disagreements of his Queen.

"Ogmios, do you not have any reverence for the hallowed Queen, sitting across from you? Dried corpses can no longer function and handle the concerns of Konatsu. Treason is just one of many crimes you can be tried, my half dead friend." Datcyde smirked.

"In what position do you have an argument in this senate…you dare to question our clout, slave? I am surprised the Queen hasn't be rid of the likes of you. You are the serpent that will soon be beheaded and thrown to the vultures." The rather short, almost dwarf like council member, spat.

"I'm surprised you're still breathing, after all these centuries. When a serpent strikes, its venom kills it prey slowly and painfully." Datcyde murmured, while a razor thin smile, curled at the corner of his lips.

"Hrmph. Pathetic analogy for an ignorant vermin."

"Tell me, when was the last time someone actually recognized you; then by sheer amusement?"

"Enough!" The Queen declared and continued, "The time has ended for tedious arguments. We have no choice but to allow for Jinta to stay."

"Lady Rezaa, you cannot…"

"She just did…" The shifter interrupted. An unconscious soldier, upon Jinta's shoulder, had been thrown on the floor of the senate.

"I'm afraid Lady Rezaa is correct. You wouldn't want your precious senate to crumble and fall to the tomb now would you?"

"Is he dead?" Another council member asked.

"No, just a little drained." Jinta mused.

"Guards!"

"Don't bother…they're drained as well."

Domu chuckled to himself at the cowardice displayed by the council members and walked towards Jinta. "I speak for the people of Konatsu, I won't hide the fact that for several hundred years, your name was considered a curse amongst our people, hence, the Konatsu senate would take great steps to see you exiled and even destroyed, but the great Njanai teaches us compassion. My Queen will no doubt allow you to stay." 

"Thank you." Jinta replied and looked towards the councilmen and laughed again.

"How dare you…" The high councilman muttered as his pale eyes narrowed.

"Come now, she can be quite helpful to our kingdom, if we can forge an alliance with her. If she possesses that much power, than maybe, we can come to some mutual indenture."

"Domu, you are insane. You have just returned from your forsaken raids on the badlands, yet you support this…monster?? And you…Jinta, you near destroy our nation and you dare make a mockery of this court?"

"…Of course not. I'm only amused that most of you don't even realize your own scriptures. Domu supports me because he is wise to the fact that I do not mean harm."

"And what does that mean, exactly?" The high council figure looked; indeed, annoyed by everyone who stood over the senate floor and secretly wished they would all fall to their deaths.

 "Have you forgotten that the scriptures read as 'the one coruscated with thy goddess essence shall return to the sands of thy mother and shed thy light upon the land into a golden age of splendor…' I think that's about correct."

"…I'm afraid she's correct. Word for word…" Another, lower councilmen inferred.

"Then she can stay…" Domu insisted.

Ogmios struggled with words until he spoke, "The divine words of the scriptures have always been the prime source of our very lives, but allowing Jinta to stay, merely for the reason that the scriptures preordain a new golden epoch by the 'One', does not in any shape, deem the forbidden one to be. You are forbidden to even walk the sands of Konatsu, let alone stay. I see no logic in you staying here, even as the scriptures state thus…I suspect this matter will take more than a few days of deliberation. "

"Thank you. I promise I won't bite." Jinta simply stated and in a blink of an eye disappeared.

"No, wait! Where do you think you're going?" Ogmios paused and muttered under his breath. "…May Njanai protect us all…"

Lady Rezaa exhaled with force and couldn't help to think the worst for her people and the future of her world.

***

_Unreality._

_Its emptiness had seemingly intertwined with the very fabric of existence itself, without itself being erased, inside the nexus. Yet, the sanctuary forged itself from anonymousness, whence the light emanated from the erroneous bolt of ether, brightening its dark, ominous silhouette._

_That could not be said the same for the halls of black magicians. The only source of light was the twisted radiance coming from the unnatural fires of the room._

_The central black magician walked as he hovered from the highest pedestal at the head of the crescent seating, allowing the shroud being worn to cascade to its' fullest length. Gliding out across the floor, and stopping only once the pentangle had been reached, the head black magician began an ancient incantation in a forgotten language. As the foreign tongue obliterated the silence, the mystical symbol, emblazoned onto the very fabric of reality began to glow--the symbol of the black angel-the angel of death._

_A bolt of crimson light traveled into the nexus, allowing it to continue funneling the desolate structure's life force into the foul, celestial structure that was the portal. The portal absently began to fill the timeless room with candescent light. It spilled into even the darkest shadow and yet, something still remained unseen; hidden within both the shadow and light; the center of the large gateway glimmered with ominous intent._

_"/My master, our master. After countless hours of meditation, we have sensed a flaw in our plan. /" The black magician spoke._

_"/Flaw? /" The disturbing voice came from the whirl maelstrom of hell's fires, an indent in the nexus dimension, "/There is no flaw. /"_

_"/When the Makai had been birthed, they seemed fragile and impotent, /" The black magician responded, grimly. Quiet, unholy chants reverberated along the warped, opaque walls of the room as the haunting voice spoke.  _

_"/For those who oppose them, they will falter and their senses will betray them. They will seek the hand of retribution. Underestimation will consume them all. /"_

_"/Yes, Desumasuku. None shall escape fate's grasp. Entropy and death shall wash over existence like the wave of white. From depths of the lowest abysmal hell to the celestial planes of heaven, all shall wither and fade into the wind."_

_"Those are merely an utterance of fate's dusk. The time shall come and pass, furthermore my design of fate shall fall into place as the wheel of time shall rust and cease to exist .../"  _

_It is said that whomever the voice of the reversed of all creation had laden its echoes upon one's ears, madness and chaos would soon follow. The sound of the void penetrated throughout the multiverse, the continuum and beyond.  _

Minoshia gasped with absolute fear. Cold sweat ran down from his pores and stained his shrouds and sighed with despair. He knew somehow, dreams contained some undeniable truth to them, after all.

***


End file.
